Grants Overview | U.S. Department of Education (2024)

FAQs

What are the three kinds of grants offered by the US Department of Education? ›

The U.S. Department of Education provides three types of grants: discretionary grants (awarded using a competitive process), student loans or grants (to help students pursue and attend postsecondary education), and formula grants (uses formulas determined by Congress and has no application process).

Grants provide opportunities and funding for students from low-income families or communities to pursue higher education. Grants are often not enough to pay for all college expenses. The application process for grants is simpler and more straightforward vs scholarships.

The main federal grant programs include: Pell Grant. This popular grant program is available to anyone who meets certain financial need requirements and is enrolled at least part-time in college. Your actual grant is based on the amount of demonstrated need.

The government does not offer free money or grants to people for personal needs.

The most popular type of grant is for Program support. Program grants provide funding for specific projects or programs. Generally, these are restricted grants, where recipients must only use funds for the exact purpose outlined in the grant proposal.

The three general types of federal grants to state and local governments are categorical grants, block grants, and general revenue sharing (see Table 1). Categorical grants can be used only for a specifically aided program and usually are limited to narrowly defined activities.

Federal Student Aid offers three types of financial aid. Grants: Financial aid that generally doesn't have to be repaid. Loans: Borrowed money for college or career school; your loans must be repaid with interest.

Working with inadequate resources severely limits your ability to connect with students. It also limits your ability to innovate and provide the best learning experience possible. If you lack adequate funding, applying for grants is often necessary to access more significant financial resources.

When considering grants, these programs can be broadly categorized as those awarded by the federal government and those awarded by non-federal entities. Within these two categories are a variety of funding sources and program types.

What are the two main types of grants? ›

Related, there are two main types of federal grants: categorical grants and block grants.

Federal funding opportunities published on Grants.gov are for organizations and entities supporting the development and management of government-funded programs and projects. For more information about personal financial assistance benefits, please visit Benefits.gov.

Cal Grants are for students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree or vocational or career training, and do not have to be repaid. In addition to meeting the financial criteria and Cal Grant requirements, you must: submit the FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application and your verified Cal Grant GPA by the deadline.

Public schools in the United States of America provide basic education from kindergarten until the twelfth grade. This is provided free of charge for the students and parents, but is paid for by taxes on property owners as well as general taxes collected by the federal government.

A federal grant in aid is federal money granted to a recipient to fund a project or program. Federal grants in aid are not loans and therefore require no repayment. Federal grants can be awarded to university faculty members to pursue a particular line of research.

Each appropriation category has three distinct periods during its lifecycle: current period, expired period, and cancelled period. Below is a description of each period, including the timing of each period and possible uses of appropriated funds during that period.