Understanding the Intricacies of Grants and Fellowships
Like scholarships, grants and fellowships award money to students without the burden of repayment upon graduation. This makes them fantastic options for student aid. The Federal Government offers millions of dollars each year in grants and fellowships, and private donors and organizations exceed this number easily.
However, the process of receiving a grant or a fellowship and the expectations put upon a student after they obtain one, are complicated, time consuming, and often very confusing to students.
The following articles are designed to help you cut through the red tape surrounding these prestigious awards and receive the one you deserve.
Financing School Through Fellowships
A fellowship is a merit-based scholarship. It is a way for students who are working in a specific area of study to get extended experience in their field. A fellowship is considered to be a very prestigious award, and very few students receive this honor. If you are thinking of applying for a fellowship, be prepared for stiff competition and a rigorous application and interview process.
The Application Process
The application process for fellowships is incredibly intense. Most extend over several months, involve more than one interview (often with a panel), and several essays, teacher recommendations, and budgetary layouts. Unlike scholarships, money given to you for a fellowship is not simply handed over. Organizations like the Fulbright ask you to write out a detailed list of how you will be spending your awarded money when abroad.
If your fellowship takes place abroad, most fellowship organizations require that you have excellent contacts abroad before you go. This may include getting in touch with the local university, or business men and women in the area. Be prepared to do an extensive amount of research before turning in your application.
The Duration of a Fellowship
The duration of these academic awards can extend from one to four years. They are meant to support a student in the maturation of their interests and expertise. For instance, there are dozens of Fulbright Fellows who get a chance to travel overseas to teach and learn in a different culture. Unlike organizations like the Peace Corp who require their workers to stay overseas for the full two years, fellowships are normally more flexible.
Who Receives Fellowships
A fellowship is given to both undergraduate and graduate students. At the graduate level, a fellowship is given to students for the purpose of conducting research at a university, or to gain more work experience in his or her field.
What Can I Do to Get a Fellowship?
In short, keep your grades up, be on good terms with your teachers, and start the application process well in advance. The worst mistake applicants make is thinking that they can begin preparation a month in advance. You need ample time to talk to your professors, possibly contact people overseas, write and rewrite your essays, prepare for your interview, and come up with a fantastic proposal and budgetary outline.
This is not easy. Don't delude yourself into thinking it is.
Popular Fellowships:
- The MacArthur Fellowship
This fellowship is awarded to particularly creative individuals who show "marked capacity for self-direction." - The Fulbright Fellowship
The Fulbright Fellowship is awarded to talented individuals who wish to either teach or study overseas. - The National Science Foundation
This fellowship is awarded to graduate students who show exceptional talent in the realms of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. - The John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
This fellowship is given to men and women who have "demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts."
- Presidential Management Fellowship
The Presidential Management Fellowship is awarded to those individuals who have show excellent leadership skills.
10 Tips to Help You Receive a Fellowship
Fellowships are among the most attractive financial aid options for post-secondary and graduate students to receive, since they are often based on academic merit and are not required to be paid back in the future. While eligibility requirements for fellowships are often stringent, those students who do qualify can expect to receive a generous financial award of free tuition, a reduction in fees, or even a monthly stipend with little to no strings attached. A few pieces of advice on maximizing your chances of receiving a fellowship include:
1. Write a strong proposal. The fellowship proposal or essay is one of the first things a selection committee will see in your application, which is why it needs to be as polished and cohesive as possible. It is important to make sure that your essay is tailored to the fellowship at hand, and it is not advised that students use the same essay when applying for multiple awards.
2. Get letters of recommendations. Not only is it important that students applying for competitive fellowships receive letters of recommendation from university professors and trusted advisors, but it is also important that these letters reflect each candidate's strengths in a concrete manner. Concentrate on getting letters from professors who know you well and have witnessed your academic accomplishments first hand, rather than a professor who you may have never worked with before.
3. Follow application instructions. It is common for students to get so excited about applying for a specific fellowship that they fail to read the application rules completely. Along with the basic instructions, make sure to carefully read each fellowship's eligibility requirements before spending unnecessary time writing essays and obtaining transcripts for an award you may not even qualify for.
4. Maintain a high GPA. Because fellowships usually are not based on financial need, the selection process in determining who should receive the awards generally falls more heavily on the side of academic achievement and performance. Key among those factors is a student's GPA, which is why it is important that students hoping to receive a fellowship maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 or higher.
5. Join an ongoing research project. Aside from grades, another area that nearly all selection committees look at is research experience. Because of this, it is smart for students to join an ongoing research project at their university or start a project of their own. Not only will this add credibility to your CV or resume, but it will also give you an additional topic to touch on in essays or in-person interviews.
6. Think like a committee member. The nation's top fellowships are highly competitive, which is why students should try their hardest to think like a member of the selection committee when putting together their application package. What would you like to see if you were selecting a fellowship candidate? Once you have figured that out, you'll be much more prepared to put together an application package that is tailored to the committee at hand.
7. Ask for a nomination. Some of the country's most prestigious fellowships may require that a student be nominated by his or her university simply to apply. If this is the case, it may be worth dropping by your academic chairperson's office and letting him or her know about your interest in the award.
8. Look for smaller fellowships. National fellowships from the Fulbright Program and the National Science Foundation may be among the best known in the country, but that does not mean they are the only awards available. To increase your odds of winning a fellowship, seek out a few lesser known awards and submit applications to those, as well.
9. Attend a summer conference. Occasionally, fellowships may be available in creative fields such as the arts or literature for students who showed their dedication and interest by attending a summer-long conference or lecture series. In general, the applicant pool for these awards is much smaller than for nation-wide fellowships, which is why it may be a good idea to take the time to attend these conferences and apply for these awards.
10. Get advice from previous winners. If it is possible, it may be worthwhile to send an e-mail to the winner of last year's fellowship contest to ask if he or she has any advice. In the best case scenario, last year's winner may offer to take a look at your fellowship essays and give you some feedback, which could significantly strengthen your overall application package.
Financing School Through Grants
A grant is a form of academic assistance, similar to a scholarship, that is given by an organization, and that does not have to be paid back. Usually, grants are provided by foundations or governments. They can either be awarded on the grounds of merit or on the grounds of financial need.
Federal Grants
One of the most common types of grants awarded to students is the Federal Pell Grant . This money is given to assist low-income families with their undergraduate education. In the 2002-03 school year, this grant program provided over eleven million dollars to just under 5 million students. Most of these grants range from $400 to $4,000 a year. Typically, students that received the Pell Grant in 2000 came from families with an average income of $21,600.
Another federally funded grant opportunity for students is the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants Program (SEOG). This grant is provided on top of the Pell Grant to help make college attainable for students from low-income families.
The Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grant is given to freshman and sophomores in undergraduate programs that have show an exceptional academic performance.
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART Grant) is given only to juniors and seniors in an accredited undergraduate program who are studying computer science, engineering, mathematics, and science.
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is a type of grant, provided by the federal government and a select number of state governments that is awarded to students with exceptional financial need. Unlike a student loan, educational opportunity grants do not need to be repaid. Students should check with their state government to see if there is a local educational opportunity grant available to them.
State Grants
Check your state's governmental site for detailed information on what may be offered. However, the following three states have long-standing programs:
- Oklahoma has need-based grant programs.
- Michigan provides grants for general undergraduates, academically gifted students, low income families, and non-traditional adult students.
- Florida has grants for the disadvantaged and disabled, as well as grants for Hispanics and the academically inclined.
- Washington provides $2500 grants to students who have exceptional financial need, have received an associate's degree, and are attending one of twenty approved private or public schools. This grant is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- California offers Cal Grants to needy students in good academic and financial standing. Unlike Washington, Cal Grants may only be used to offset the costs of attending one of the state's public schools. If a California student graduates high school with a minimum 3.0 GPA and has demonstrated significant financial need, they will receive an entitlement grant. Students demonstrating less financial need and a minimum 3.0 GPA may apply for competitive grants. Other types of Cal Grants are also offered to students with a GPA of at least 2.0.
- Texas students who have never been convicted of a drug-related crime and expect a family contribution of less than $2000 are eligible for Texas Educational Opportunity Grants. Like California, these grants are applicable only at the state's public schools. Nearly 4,000 students received grants ranging from $865 to $2585 in the 2005-2006 school year.
There are also grants available for minorities, graduate students, doctoral grants, low income and disadvantaged students. Check with your financial aid officer for more information.
10 Tips to Help You Receive a Grant
Thousands of government and private grants exist, offering free money to students who can demonstrate a financial need, special skill, or particular interest in a specific area of study. While many grants are highly competitive, there are a number of things that any student can do to improve his or her chances of receiving one of these academic awards.
1. Demonstrate a financial need. Financial need is one of the biggest factors taken into consideration for many grants, which is why it is so imperative that students take the time to fill out a FAFSA with their parents. Only after filling out a FAFSA will students be eligible to receive grants, including the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) which goes to undergraduate students at select universities with "exceptional" financial need.
2. Keep your grades up. Maintaining a high grade point average is imperative for anyone hoping to pay for their education with the help of grants. For the Federal Government's Academic Competitiveness Grant , specifically, students must have at least a 3.0 GPA at the end of their first year of university education in order to qualify.
3. Do your own research. Many discretionary grants go un-awarded each year simply because not enough qualified candidates apply for the award. Find out about these lesser known awards by doing your own research through the U.S. Department of Education website or by asking a trusted advisor in your university's financial aid office for advice.
4. Apply for as many as possible. There's no limit to the number of grants, both government and otherwise, that a student can apply for. It is important to remember that the more things you are involved in—including extracurricular activities and academic programs—the more grants you will theoretically be able to qualify for, which is why students who have taken an active interest in their university's programs are likely to receive far more financial aid than their less active peers.
5. Find your own niche. A number of government grants exist for students entering specialized fields. For those interested in education, mathematics, or science, for example, the Federal TEACH and National SMART grants offer $4,000 a year in financial aid money to anyone working towards careers in those particular fields.
6. Develop a research project. Each year, a large portion of the competitive grants that are handed out are given to students with a demonstrated interest in scholastic research. If this is an area that you have thought about pursuing, it may be worthwhile to find out which projects are eligible to receive grant funding from the Institute for Education Sciences .
7. Become a full-time student. It is common for students to drop down to part-time status as a way to find more time to work to pay the bills during college. Unfortunately, this could actually be hurting your chances at obtaining an academic grant, since the majority of these grants are reserved for full-time students only.
8. Ask about an institutional grant. Many universities offer private institutional grants to students who demonstrate a particular skill or financial need. Unfortunately, students oftentimes don't know about these grants simply because they fail to ask. While the financial amount may not be worth as much as some larger government-sponsored awards, it may still be worth asking around at your university's financial aid office to learn about the individual requirements for institutional grants at your particular university.
9. Take your time filling out applications. One of the biggest reasons that eligible students end up not receiving the amount of grant money they were expecting is because of an error that was made while filling out their grant application. Make sure this does not happen to you by double checking your information and asking a parent or trusted advisor to read over your application before clicking 'submit'.
10. Understand your responsibilities. Obtaining financial aid funding is an ongoing process throughout your post-secondary training, not a one-time deal. Because of this, it is important that students understand the responsibilities and rules that go along with the grants they receive each year, which could include minimum academic requirements or meeting certain projected milestones in research studies. Students who fail to meet these responsibilities risk having their grants revoked in the coming years.
Grant Writing Tips
A variety of grant writing tips, classes, and software are available to help you streamline the process and improve your overall results.
With the wide availability of funds for individuals, institutions, and businesses, it is essential that you spend time organizing your grant writing effort. There is a great deal of competition for funding, and awards are granted to the best prepared proposals.
Where to StartBefore your search even begins, you need to know what you intend to accomplish. Any project you choose must support the needs of your school or community. Grant providers want to clearly see the necessity of your program, so it is important to make sure that your project fulfills a need. The time and effort spent investigating this question will pay off when it comes time to write your grant proposal. Conduct preliminary research to find a solid educational foundation for your project. Map out the necessary steps, including funding at each stage. Keep in mind how you will evaluate your project using measurable outcomes throughout your design phase. Keep a project worksheet.
Grant Writing Classes
Grant writing classes can show you how to write a grant that gets funded. These courses will teach you to prepare grants effectively and to find the best funding sources. There are many grant writing classes and training programs across America that can dramatically enhance performance in grant writing. These classes and programs focus on delivering a learning experience that gets grant writers excited about the limitless possibilities of their work, and imparts significant information in a way that's easy to retain and is immediately applicable.
Grant Writing Software
Grant writing software programs are widely available on the Internet that can be extremely helpful in getting the funding you seek. Software applications include grant writing simulation exercises, tutorials providing step by step details, and specific instructions on completing the required forms. Grant writing software can help you create a grant proposal that is well-prepared, thoughtfully planned, and concisely packaged.
Tips to Remember
One of the most important grant writing tips to remember is that even if you submit a perfect application, you may still get rejected. Most foundations have limited resources with which to fund projects, so don't get discouraged if you get rejected from a potential funding source.
- Read the grantor's guidelines and instructions carefully, and don't try to make their program fit what you want to do. Your program must conform to the funding agency's priorities.
- Ideas should be fresh, innovative, and creative. Private foundations often seek creative solutions to their needs, so try proposing a project that puts a fresh spin on an existing idea.
- Have an evaluation plan, a detailed budget, and be realistic! Grantors want to know if the projects they fund are meeting their goals. Research all projected costs prior to submitting your application, and be sure to explain your budget thoroughly (even if you aren't required to do so).
- Clarity in communicating your ideas is very important, so have someone who is not involved with the project read and critique your draft application for an objective perspective. And, as obvious as it might sound, make sure to proofread! Grammar and spelling errors do not project a positive image.
- Follow the grantor's instructions precisely. Applications are automatically rejected that do not meet the funding agency's requirement.
- If your application is turned away, ask the grantor for reviewer comments. Use the feedback for improving on future grant applications. And always write thank-you letters, even if your project is not funded!
