How to Apply for a Personal Grant in Corvallis, Oregon

Bridge in Oregon.

Every year federal and state governments give away millions of dollars in grants to businesses and individuals. An individual only qualifies for personal need grants, such as the Pell Grant for education at the federal level and the Oregon Opportunity Grant at the state level. All U.S. citizens are allowed to apply for federal personal grant assistance, but only residents of Oregon can apply for the state-specific programs like the OOG. Residents of Corvallis, Oregon, are eligible for both. The application process can take a few weeks to complete but is free. To apply, there are a few basic steps you will need to follow.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Search for grant opportunities at Grants.gov by choosing "Find grant opportunities" from the left column and using the advanced search option. Under eligibility, select "Individuals" and click "Search." Choose the grant you wish to apply for and write down the funding opportunity number (FON).

2. Go back to the Grants.gov homepage and click "Get registered." Choose the individual option and enter the FON number for the grant you choose into the box. Click "Register." Complete the profile form that appears, click "Continue," validate your information, and click "Submit."

3. Check your e-mail for a registration confirmation, then log in to Grants.gov. Using the grant search page, enter the FON number to pull up your grant and select "Apply." Fill out the required information online and click "Submit" to submit your application.

4. Repeat the search and apply options for as many grants as you would like and are eligible for. To further narrow your results, you can select Oregon in the advanced search option, and the results will generate opportunities only available to individuals in Oregon.

5. Not all personal grants are federally funded. Oregon has a number of its own grant opportunities, particularly for education. To find these, contact the agency that would be responsible for delivering the grants. For example, the Oregon Opportunity Grant and the Oregon Deceased or Disabled Public Safety Officer Grants are available for students and can be found on the Oregon Student Assistance Commission's website.

6. Go to the agency's website and register if needed. For most educational grants, students who are Oregon residents need only fill out the free application for Federal Student Aid on the Federal Student Aid website. In this case, the state will let you know that you qualify for a given grant. In other instances, you will need to fill out the application and submit the form to the agency giving out the grant.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient. Registration with grants.gov can take several weeks to be approved because all personal information must be verified before you can begin applying for grants.

• Contact the agency that is in charge of the grants you are interested in, such as the OSAC for education, and ask about what opportunities are available to individuals to help hasten your search and save you some time.

• Avoid sites that claim they can get you access to grant money for a fee. Federal grant opportunities are free to apply for.

References

• Grants.gov: Find Grant Opportunities:
• Grants.gov: Individual Organization - User Guide
• Get College Funds: Oregon Opportunity Grant
• Oregon Student Assistance Commission: List of OSAC Programs
• College Scholarships: Scholarships and Grants in Oregon:
• Federal Student Aid