For many students at trade schools, finding a way to pay for their tuition is usually one of their biggest challenges. The cost of tuition at a vocational school can be too high for many potential students, and many of them don't have the academic background to be eligible for scholarships, nor the stomach to take on the burden of a student loan. Many of these applicants are unaware, however, that they may be eligible for one of many grants offered to those who enroll in vocational education programs.
The Definition of a Vocational School Grant
The most basic definition of a trade school grant is an obligation-free payment of money offered to students in order to help them cover their tuition. They do not need to be paid back like a loan, and the majority don't carry any type of requirement for previous academic achievement. If you're lucky enough to be awarded this form of aid, your only burden is to spend the money on your schooling.
What Kinds of Students are Eligible for a Trade School Grant?
Suppliers of grants include numerous private and public groups that are eager to support the development of future employees for their fields. Most of the typical grants one can find are for students who fit the following profiles:
* Low income * Racial, ethnic or social minorities * Women of all ages * Students with handicaps * Special needs students * Adult students returning to school
Besides the previously mentioned general grants, there are additionally numerous career-specific grants sponsored by business and community organizations or other kinds of public foundations. To put it in plain terms, there are a good many aspiring students who don't know that they qualify for assistance that can eradicate their concerns about paying for school.
How to Find Trade School Grants
There are three common types of grants that you'll need to look for to determine whether or not you are eligible for assistance: federal, state and private. While locating grants from government sources is fairly easy, finding them from private groups can be a little more difficult. In any case, you need to start this search immediately after applying to the vocational schools of your choosing.
Federal Grants
Finding out if you're qualified for any federal grants involves just one easy step - completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. When you complete this application, your individual information is used to generate a Student Aid Report (SAR) which will summarize, among other things, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) toward tuition. The EFC is crucial because, if it is really low, you can expect to qualify for several grants.
If you do already qualify for any grants from the federal government, your Student Aid Report will contain this information as well. Assuming that you listed the vocational schools you have applied at on your FAFSA, they will be given a copy of your SAR as well which will help them decide if you're qualified to receive any extra assistance from the school.
State Government Grants
The procedure for locating state grants is a bit more involved, but is still one that involves only a few of steps. The initial step in your search should definitely be to get in touch with the admissions department at the school you're applying to. They should be able to tell you whether or not your academic history is sufficient to garner consideration for any of the major state grants.
The second step in looking for state assistance should be to inquire directly to the state agency responsible for managing student financial aid (in California, this is the CSAC) about your eligibility. This two-step process should guarantee that no state grants for which you are qualified slip through the cracks.
Getting Private Grants
While there are only a couple of resources you need to check for government grants, private vocational education assistance can be harder to track down. With that said, there is a process you can follow that has proved helpful for many people in the past. Just like many other things in life, hard work is required for success.
Before you start, be advised that finding private financial aid is time-consuming and forces you to do a lot of independent research. Basically, your process will consist of finding private organizations in your field of study and contacting them to find out if they sponsor grants for trade school students. For many successful trade school graduates, this easy task yielded a considerable amount of financial aid.
The Definition of a Vocational School Grant
The most basic definition of a trade school grant is an obligation-free payment of money offered to students in order to help them cover their tuition. They do not need to be paid back like a loan, and the majority don't carry any type of requirement for previous academic achievement. If you're lucky enough to be awarded this form of aid, your only burden is to spend the money on your schooling.
What Kinds of Students are Eligible for a Trade School Grant?
Suppliers of grants include numerous private and public groups that are eager to support the development of future employees for their fields. Most of the typical grants one can find are for students who fit the following profiles:
* Low income * Racial, ethnic or social minorities * Women of all ages * Students with handicaps * Special needs students * Adult students returning to school
Besides the previously mentioned general grants, there are additionally numerous career-specific grants sponsored by business and community organizations or other kinds of public foundations. To put it in plain terms, there are a good many aspiring students who don't know that they qualify for assistance that can eradicate their concerns about paying for school.
How to Find Trade School Grants
There are three common types of grants that you'll need to look for to determine whether or not you are eligible for assistance: federal, state and private. While locating grants from government sources is fairly easy, finding them from private groups can be a little more difficult. In any case, you need to start this search immediately after applying to the vocational schools of your choosing.
Federal Grants
Finding out if you're qualified for any federal grants involves just one easy step - completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. When you complete this application, your individual information is used to generate a Student Aid Report (SAR) which will summarize, among other things, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) toward tuition. The EFC is crucial because, if it is really low, you can expect to qualify for several grants.
If you do already qualify for any grants from the federal government, your Student Aid Report will contain this information as well. Assuming that you listed the vocational schools you have applied at on your FAFSA, they will be given a copy of your SAR as well which will help them decide if you're qualified to receive any extra assistance from the school.
State Government Grants
The procedure for locating state grants is a bit more involved, but is still one that involves only a few of steps. The initial step in your search should definitely be to get in touch with the admissions department at the school you're applying to. They should be able to tell you whether or not your academic history is sufficient to garner consideration for any of the major state grants.
The second step in looking for state assistance should be to inquire directly to the state agency responsible for managing student financial aid (in California, this is the CSAC) about your eligibility. This two-step process should guarantee that no state grants for which you are qualified slip through the cracks.
Getting Private Grants
While there are only a couple of resources you need to check for government grants, private vocational education assistance can be harder to track down. With that said, there is a process you can follow that has proved helpful for many people in the past. Just like many other things in life, hard work is required for success.
Before you start, be advised that finding private financial aid is time-consuming and forces you to do a lot of independent research. Basically, your process will consist of finding private organizations in your field of study and contacting them to find out if they sponsor grants for trade school students. For many successful trade school graduates, this easy task yielded a considerable amount of financial aid.
About the Author:
Interested in reading more about trade school programs?, then visit Ayla Ward's site where you'll not only find great general information on vocational schooling, but also a comprehensive directory of trade schools in Los Angeles.