How to Understand How Student Loans Affect Eligibility for Grants

The costs of a college education continue to rise. Many prospective students have to scramble to put together funds to finish their studies. Understanding how student loans affect eligibility for grants is very helpful for managing this paper chase.

Things You'll Need

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Instructions

1. Understand that a grant is money awarded to help with the costs of an education and rarely needs to be repaid. Pell Grants are the most popular, and are awarded to students of the highest need for financial assistance.

2. Several different types of grants and loans are available because incomes and finances vary from student to student.

3. Loans and scholarships could affect eligibility for grants. If you are receiving a lot of loans or scholarships, your eligibility diminishes.

4. Know the main types of Federal Student Financial Aid and then various other opportunities, and what determines eligibility. Two main grants, which aid students with the greatest financial need, are the SEOG (Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant) and Pell (Basic Educational Opportunity Grant).

Tips & Warnings

• In order to be eligible for most forms of financial aid, students must file a FAFSA annually.

• The SEOG differs from the Pell because only U.S. citizen undergraduates who are not in default of a federal student loan or have a federal grant overpayment are eligible. A SEOG offers a maximum of $4,000.

• There are numerous other grants that are directed towards students of certain majors. The SMART grant, for example, is specifically for science and math students, who have first applied for a Pell grant.