| The US government has always been a benevolent | | | | form a part of this philanthropic exercise. The |
| one that appreciates that the future of the country | | | | beneficiaries of this grant are not expected to return |
| is in the hands of its youth. Education is the best | | | | the aid in any manner. The specific amount of money |
| means of ensuring that the youth of the country | | | | that is doled out per student depends on the financial |
| grow to be respectful citizens who can contribute to | | | | need of the individual but the maximum amount that |
| the society in some way or other. | | | | can be given to one particular person is dictated by |
| One of the efforts to this cause has been the free | | | | the Congress each year. |
| grant that the federal government provides for | | | | Free grants also come in the guise of campus based |
| tertiary education to the various schools and certified | | | | aid programs. The known associated for this kind of |
| education programs. These free grants are meant | | | | a free grant are the Federal Supplemental Education |
| especially for those people who would like to avail of | | | | Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study |
| further education but do not have the financial | | | | (FWS) and Federal Perkins Loan programs. These |
| capability to fund their own education. | | | | kinds of grants are provided to the programs that |
| The US federal government provides these grants to | | | | are managed directly by the financial aid office. |
| a wide variety of educational institutions. These | | | | For a student to be awarded a free grant, some |
| include various schools, educational programs, | | | | eligibility criteria need to be fulfilled. The beneficiary |
| universities, small arts colleges, technical schools, | | | | needs to be a citizen of the United States or an |
| vocational programs, trade schools and even | | | | eligible non-citizen and should have a valid social |
| community colleges. The magnanimous sum of $67 | | | | security number. A high school diploma or a General |
| billion is distributed among the institutions that have | | | | Education Development certificate is a must. If these |
| been identified each year. This is done in the form of | | | | are not available a special test for 'ability to benefit' |
| loans, grants, campus-based aid and the like. It is the | | | | can be used which the expectant student needs to |
| duty of the educational institutions to forward these | | | | pass. To avail the grant the student needs to enroll in |
| grants to the eligible and deserving students in their | | | | the program as a regular student and apply for the |
| programs. The dissemination of these grants could be | | | | grant later. Male students in the age group of 18 to |
| done each semester, trimester or quarter based on | | | | 25 years need to register for 'selective' and be |
| the educational institution. | | | | 'eligible' or 'partially eligible' on the drug conviction |
| The federal Pell Grant is one of the many grants that | | | | question. |