Education is expensive, but ignorance is even more costly. The important parts of every successful career include knowledge and skills–it is important to understand how education grants help you obtain affordable schooling. It’s not hard to see how grants create more educational opportunities since they provide funding assistance. For this reason, lack of funding is not an excuse to run away from education. Instead, it should be a motivation for you to pursue this journey in life!
Benefits of a Higher Education
While everyone “knows” that higher education can provide more opportunities, many don’t realize just how many! There are personal, financial, and career benefits that higher education can provide.
Personal Benefits
There are so many personal benefits when it comes to getting a higher education. Students that go to school find that they are more productive, have an easier time learning new skills, become better communicators, improve their self-esteem, receive socializing opportunities, and develop critical thinking skills.
Productivity
When going to school, students will have to deal with deadlines. These deadlines are strict for the most part, which can cause a student to improve their time productively to make sure they meet the assignment requirements! Understanding how to fit work into a schedule effectively is a key life skill that students learn.
Learn New Skills
Education is the key to unlocking many doors in your life. When you are exposed to a higher education environment, you may find more ideas and skills introduced to you. This knowledge may be able to be useful for your own personal benefit or the benefit of your career!
Become Better Communicators
The higher education environment typically encourages students to work with one another. This forced group effort can mean a student must improve their communication skills for a project to be completed. Group discussions, class projects, etc. are ways that students have the opportunity to up their communication game!
Improve Self Esteem
Many students may improve their self-esteem when they pursue higher education. Degrees take hard work! They are not an easy feat and require time management, studying, hard work, and more. When a student receives their degree, especially those who are the first in their family to get a higher education, they can feel a huge sense of pride, resulting in improved self-esteem.
Socializing Opportunities
Higher education can provide so many different opportunities. One of the most beneficial ones is the networking potential! There are plenty of esteemed individuals that work with schools, volunteer to speak, as well as attend networking events that are hosted by the school. You may find your next colleague, boss, or investor!
Develop Critical Thinking Skills
Schools promote the exchange of ideas between students. This improves critical thinking skills. When students face world views that are not the same as their own, they can become more insightful, and it will make them stronger critical thinkers. Keeping an open mind is an important life skill, especially when it comes to personal development!
Financial Benefits
Some of the financial benefits include that those with higher education will likely make more money due to their employment opportunities. It is reported that individuals that have a bachelor’s degree make an average of $900 more a week compared to those with a lower level of education. For example, people between 22 and 27 years old that have a bachelor’s degree make roughly $44,000 a year while the same age group with a high school diploma makes an average of $30,000 a year.
Career Benefits
When people are not sure about their career path in life, higher education can help immensely. When students pursue higher education, they can figure out which career they would like to pursue and specialize accordingly. Once they are done learning important information through education, they can enter the workforce with the knowledge they need to succeed!
Types of Federal Education Grants
There are a variety of grant options available that are offered federally. It is important to know your options so that you can apply. You can find more information about grants at your student financial aid office. If you want to apply for a grant, then the first thing you should do is submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG):
FSEOG is a great opportunity that can offer up to $4,000 per year in financial aid, but it is not offered at every higher educational institute. The amount that students will be granted is mainly determined by how many other financial aid offers/grants the student gets and how much financial aid is being offered at the college/university that the student plans on attending.
Pell Grant
The Pell Grant offers a generous amount of funding of up to $7,395 (this number could change every year) and is offered to qualifying undergraduate students. This funding opportunity has a history of helping many who wish to pursue studies in a variety of different fields.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
If you are interested in becoming a teacher, then this is definitely the grant you’ve been looking for. Given that you have satisfied all the requirements, the grant can give a student up to $4,000 per year.
Other Programs for Educational Assistance
There are plenty of additional opportunities provided by the government that may help your current situation. Some other programs for educational assistance include:
These are just a couple of other programs that may help your situation if you are looking for ways to handle the costs of education.
Federal Work-Study Program
This is a program that provides qualifying undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity for part-time employment. This program encourages the progression of a student in their course of study and community service work. The wage of the student depends on a variety of factors. For more information, you can get in touch with your school’s financial aid office.
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN)
This is a program that can provide students with fellowships through programs, units of institutions of higher education (IHE), graduate academic departments, and more. Graduate students that meet the criteria requirements and plan to obtain the highest level of degree in the field that they’re studying can participate in this program. Students cannot apply for this grant directly. Instead, they must do it specifically through their school.
Additional Federal Assistance Options
While educational assistance is important, it may also be beneficial for you to consider other assistance options to improve your financial situation. There are plenty of other federal benefits that may help! Some of these options include:
- Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
This food assistance program specializes in providing assistance to women, infants, and children up to the age of 5 years old. Many individuals like this program because of the fact that it provides referrals of assistance, food, vouchers, and education to recipients. Your local WIC office can provide you with more information.
Child’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
A family may struggle when it comes time to deal with the costs of healthcare. If a family makes too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford the private insurance monthly premiums, then CHIP may be a great option to consider. Families that have children under 19 years old can receive affordable medical and dental coverage. This coverage includes hospital care, screenings, medical tests, preventative care, medical supplies, and much more!
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Utilities can be a cost that families struggle to deal with, which is why the government wanted to create a program aimed to help with these expenses. Recipients of LIHEAP can receive support for their energy costs through home energy utility bill assistance, minor energy home repair, and weatherization of the home. This program also provides a safety net during unexpected accidents resulting from improper cooling and heating of the house. For additional information, call 1-866-674-6327.
Overall
The thought of higher education can be scary. However, there are plenty of benefits to it ranging from personal benefits, financial benefits, and career benefits. Education is expensive, which is why there are assistance options available like:
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Pell Grant
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
While some of these grants may be helpful, there are other federal educational assistance options that you can consider. Other options can help towards the costs of food, utility bills, and more. There may even be additional grants that can help the costs of education from a state or local level. The best place to start is by getting in touch with your school’s financial aid office!
