Both scholarships and grants are types of financial aid to pay for college, they’re not the same. Grants are a form of financial aid, based on need, which you do not have to repay. Grants are generally awarded by federal and state governments, academic institutions and organizations. Below, you will find links to a variety of grant resources online. You should also take a look at Fastweb, which links to millions of scholarship, grant, and fellowship databases for students attending all types of schools who are studying in a variety of fields.
General Information
What Should I Know About Education Grants?
Information on how to get and manage a grant from US Department of Education.
Department of Education Overview of Education Grants
Outline of the three types of grants offered by the US Department of Education.
Grant Databases
Federal Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants generally are awarded to undergraduate students who display financial need and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. A Federal Pell Grant does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances.
Many students do not take advantage of the Pell Grant, NCAN reports on what went unused in 2022: NCAN Report: In 2022, High School Seniors Left $3.58 Billion on the Table in Pell Grants. The program methodology can change from year to year. Schedule Update: 2023-2024 Federal Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedule
Other Federal Grant programs in addition to the Federal Pell Grant. Review the programs here:
- Federal Student Grant Programs
- Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Programs; 2023-24 Award Year Deadline Dates
Sam.Gov (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance)
Sam.gov is the official U.S. government website for people who make, receive, and manage federal awards. It hosts the CFDA, a searchable directory of federal programs that provide assistance benefits to the American public. Many grant programs are listed.
Funding Information Portal (UNC Chapel Hill, Office of Research Services)
This gopher uses WAIS to provide full-text searching of nearly 10,000 documents from major funding sources. Also provides information about programs sponsored by NSF and NIH and free access to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
Government Grants
HHS Grants & Contracts
This gopher provides information about grant opportunities at the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Georgia HOPE Scholarship and Grant Program
The Georgia HOPE Scholarship (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) provides grants for tuition and fees and books for Georgia residents at public and private colleges in Georgia.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Provides information about NIH grants and contracts, among other topics.
Office of the Federal Register (OFR)
This gopher provides access to the daily table of contents of the Federal Register and other OFR information.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant to college students that agree to serve students from low-income school districts.
Miscellaneous Grant-Related Resources
AHSL Grant Resources Guide
This web page is the online Guide to Funding Information of the Arizona Health Sciences Library. It includes pointers to a few health-related resources.
International and Research Exchange Board (IREX)
IREX promotes scholarly interaction between more than 100 countries.
Publications
Chronicle of Philanthropy
The Chronicle of Philanthropy covers news about gifts and grants and includes a list of application deadlines. The emphasis is on fundraising and giving for nonprofit organizations, but some scholarship and fellowship programs may be included.
Philanthropy News Digest
An archive of past issues of Philanthropy News Digest, a weekly publication of the Foundation Center.
