For students who need some sort of financial assistance to attend college, it’s a good thing grants are no longer limited to just the one that was offered by Lady Anne Mowlson in 1643. She is credited with offering the first ever college grant of 100 pounds to Harvard in that year. Now, a little exploration of grants will show federal SEOG Grants, Pell Grants, and Federal PLUS loans. Those are only the tip of the financial aid iceberg.
Education in pre-revolutionary days and even to a large part of the near past was impacted by the need for children to work family farms in the spring for planting and in the fall for harvesting. If someone wanted to learn a trade, they apprenticed themselves to someone who already knew that job. For those who could afford it, Harvard was pretty much the only choice for college and this experience was not one offered to the “under-privileged” classes.
As centers for higher education have grown geometrically, so have the sources for obtaining college grants. Yes, there’s always the Pell Grant. Yet along with the Pell, the Department of Education has a special data base service so you can apply for everything from National Direct Student Loans to private institutions that also provide other grants such as TEACH (a grant program for public teachers of the future).
A good place to start is with the Dept. of Education’s FASFA4Caster. This tool is designed to help figure out the odds of a student getting aid. From there, the Department will even help you set up an account, MyFASFA, to manage your next step, which is getting the grants.
A report by USA Today noted recently that there was an average annual cost of $15,000 per semester for higher education. Looking only to the Pell Grant – currently at $5,350 – is not going to cover a student’s semester expenses. As with most things, unless a student has hit the lottery, or has the good fortune to have the last name of Buffet, Jobs, or Gates (and the family money that goes with it), some type of assistance will be required for that student to get a college education.
Only schools like Harvard adjust tuition based on need and there’s still the matter of being one of the rare few who will get matriculated. At the same time, there isn’t a single educational institution worth its salt – land-based or online – that doesn’t come with financial aid officers. Yes, you should do some homework on your own. That’s a great reason to go to the Department of Education’s website.
What will a financial aid officer do for you? How about helping you go through the mountain of paperwork that is often required? Or finding specific assistance for single moms, single parents, military veterans or Native Americans? One in four students going or returning to college are over the age of 25 and many are already working or have children or both. A good aid officer will have the experience to get you pointed into the direction you need to apply for everything that fits your individual situation.
So, the general overview is times have changed considerably since Lady Mowlson. It costs a lot more than 100 pounds to go to Harvard. At the same time, there are a lot more Mowlsons out there in the world, and a number of fine institutions besides America’s first college. A little work looking into online universities information, some help with college grants options, and you will find them.