Grants and scholarships
Money for college, sorted by who gives it
Federal, state, college and local awards that you do not pay back, explained in plain English, with the office that decides named in every article.
Money for school comes from
01 - About us
What Student Lift Network does
1form
One free form, the FAFSA at studentaid.gov, opens the door to most federal, state and college grants. Student Lift Network explains what comes after it: who holds each kind of award, what they ask of you and when they pay. See how the library works.
Awards from different sources add up only to the cost of attendance, so a new scholarship can change the rest of your offer.
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02 - Sources
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Federal grants
The grants the U.S. Department of Education funds and your college pays out, starting with the Pell Grant.
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02 - Sources
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State grants
Need-based grants, merit awards and community college tuition programs, each with the state's own dates.
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02 - Sources
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Your college's own aid
Grants from the college's own budget, merit awards, department scholarships and emergency help.
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02 - Sources
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Private and local scholarships
Awards from foundations, clubs, employers, faith groups and associations, and how they fit your aid.
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02 - Sources
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Service and work programs
Money earned through work-study, national service, ROTC, employers, apprenticeships and co-op terms.
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02 - Sources
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Keeping your grants
Progress rules, the yearly FAFSA, verification, withdrawals and transfers, so the money keeps coming.
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03 - Your aid offer
Where the money in an offer comes from
04 - How it works
How a grant reaches you
The same four steps hold for almost every grant and scholarship, whoever pays it. The guide to reading an aid offer walks through step two in detail.
Step01
File the FAFSA
Most grants start with one free form at studentaid.gov, plus a state or college form where one is asked for.
Step02
Get an aid offer
Each college that admits you builds an offer that lists grants, scholarships, work-study and loans.
Step03
Accept and finish
Accept what you want, finish any verification or paperwork, and report outside scholarships.
Step04
Money reaches you
Grants are applied to your college bill each term, and anything left over is refunded to you.
// 05 - Updates
Hear when new articles land
Pick a source and get a short note when something new is published, by email, and by text if you choose.
You are signed up
Updates will reach you by email when there is something new on the source you picked. A text will confirm your number if you ticked a text box, and replying STOP to any text ends them.
Read the guidesFrequently asked questions
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A free library about the money for college that you do not pay back: grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, work-study and service awards, sorted by who gives the money. It explains how each kind works and names the office that decides.
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Each source has its own form, its own dates and its own rules for renewal. Knowing whether a grant comes from the federal government, your state, your college or a local group tells you where to apply and who to call.
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No one but your college, your state and the organizations that run each award can decide that. The articles explain how each one is worked out and who to ask.
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No more than 4 a month, and usually fewer. Reply STOP to any text and they end, with one message to confirm. Each email also has a link at the bottom to stop them.
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No. Every article and guide is open to read, and the FAFSA itself costs nothing to file at studentaid.gov. Be wary of anyone who charges a fee to find or claim aid.
