Monday, March 21, 2011

Grants for Senior Citizens

Many senior citizens typically live off of fixed income which makes spending a lot of money pretty tough. Usually you have to keep to a tight budget which does not allow much room for extra spending. One great way of getting some extra money is by getting grants for senior citizens. These grants are given by the federal government and are free for recipients. They are much better than getting loans because you aren't required to pay back the money. There are different types of grants available for different situations. First figure out what type of situation you want the grant for. Then apply for it.

If you are planning on going back to school and getting an education, it is never too late and you are never too old. You can get the Pell grant for senior citizens which would help you to pay for tuition and other school costs. To get the Pell grant you would have to fill out the FAFSA which the government uses to figure out how much money you get. The form will ask you questions about your income and how much assets you have. The less you have the more money you will get from the government.

Another type of grant for the elderly would be the housing grant. These types of grants could help you to make home repairs. For example, if the roof of your home was leaking and you did not have money to make the repairs, you could apply for the housing grant. Other grants in this category could also help you to make down payments on your first home. Check the grants.gov website to search for grants.

Finally, you may want to start a business and need business grants for seniors. You do not always have to look to the federal government for money. You could also research organizations that help seniors in their endeavors. Start with your Chamber of Commerce to find these organizations. If you do a search online you could probably pull up many organizations that will help you.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Grants for Immigrants

If you are an immigrant looking to get grants, you are in luck because you are usually entitled to grants that U.S. citizens are entitled too. Immigrants may include Asians, Europeans, Africans, or just about anyone that came from another country and reside in the U.S. To qualify for governments grants you have to be permanent resident. If you are an illegal immigrant, you may not be able to receive a grant.

Before you start applying for grants, you need to figure out exactly what type of grant you want to apply for. There are many grants out there for many different kinds of situations. If you are looking to get training and seek a higher education, then you would apply for the Pell grant for immigrants. These grants are provided to those low income individuals who are unable to afford the cost of college. To get the Pell grant you need to get the FAFSA and fill out that. The form will ask about your income and your assets which the government then uses to calculate the amount of money you will get. The less money and assets that you have, the more grant money you will get. So if you are really destitute, you would get the most amount of money. For those immigrants that make too much money, they would not get any grants at all.

If you are an immigrant that wishes to start a business, then you would need to look specifically for business grants for immigrants. You can find such grants from grants.gov. These are federal level grants. Do not forget that you may be able to find grants at the state level. There are also organizations that will give out business grants too. They may deal specifically with immigrants only. Try to see if you can find these organizations in your city. You can check with the Chamber of Commerce to see if they can help you.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Grants for Felons

You have served your time and now you just want to get on with your life. That is quite understandably but many felons find themselves in a financial situation after they have served their time. Some felons want to go back to school while others want to start a business. Luckily for felons, you can apply for grants for felons which would help you reach your endeavors. Applying for grants should be your first choice rather than applying for loans. This is because loans must be repaid while grants do not.

If you plan on going back to school to get higher education, then you should apply for the Pell grant for felons. You have to fill out the FAFSA in order to get this grant. The grant is given based on your income and assets. The government will calculate your income and assets and determine whether or not you get any money. The amount of money you get also ranges depending on how much money you currently make. There is a question on the FAFSA which asks if you ever been convicted of drug charges. As long as you complete a drug rehabilitation program then you do not have to answer yes to that question.

For felons that wish to start a business, getting capital is a priority. You may want to check out grants.gov to see what types of business grants for felons are available. This database basically has all kinds of federal grants so take your time and find the one for you. Another way of getting grants is by contacting organizations that help felons. The key to getting grants is to apply to as many as you can. In this way you are heightening your chances of getting money.

Finally, if you cannot seem to find money from the government or from organizations, you can always ask your family and friends. Do not discount them just because you know them. They may be more than willing to help.