The first place to look for education grants is through the school you currently or plan to attend. Colleges and universities have student financial aid offices that may be able to help you apply for student loans and grants, including federal, state, local, private, and other types of assistance. Your school may also have student grant programs. 

You can also search for student grants from private organizations online. Several entities offer grants to students who are disadvantaged, studying a certain field, or fit a specific demographic. For example, there are grants for women, persons of color, and parents.

5
You May Be Able to Get $1000s for College – Here’s Where to Look
Back 5 of 5

Many organizations have education grants for female students to encourage closing the professional gender gap. Grants for teaching degrees are prevalent, but some groups focus on getting women into STEM careers. 

You can check out the Society of Women Engineers if you are a female student pursuing a bachelor’s or graduate program in engineering, engineering technology, and computer science. The group has several scholarships that provide thousands of dollars each. 

If you are a low-income woman 35 years of age and older, the Jeanette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund may help you pay for an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or vocational training from an accredited institution.    

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is one of many scholarships that award thousands to 1,000 African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students. 

Education grants for African American students include the following:

  • The United Negro College Foundation (UNFC) 
  • The Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) 
  • The National Assistance for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 

Student grants for Alaskan Natives and Natives Americans include:

  • The American Indian College Fund 
  • The Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • The Indian Health Service

Grants for Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian students include:

  • The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund 
  • The U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Scholarships 

Scholarships for Hispanic or Latinx students include: 

  • Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards 
  • Hispanic Scholarship Fund 
  • Hispanic Scholarship Consortium 

Returning to school with children can be physically and financially exhausting. That’s why there are some grants available for single parents. Programs specifically for single moms include:

  • The Philanthropic Education Organization 
  • Soroptimist Live Your Dreams Award 
  • Women’s Independence Scholarship Program 
  • Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Scholarship 

Here are some gender-neutral education grants for single parents:

  • The ASSP Foundation Family Scholarship Fund
  • The LouEllen Dabbs Scholarship
  • The Custody X Change Giving Fund

You may not qualify for federal student aid or private grants if you are a foreign or international student. However, your school may have grants and scholarships exclusively for its students. Some international student grants include:

  • The Fulbright Foreign Student Program 
  • The American Association of University Women 
  • The Kennedy Memorial Trust

Back 5 of 5