Continue Your Education with Graduate Financial Assistance

Graduate grants are available to many students who wish to continue thier education after completing an undergraduate course of study and wish to continue your education at graduate level. In addition to the federal student loans you may be able to receive financial aid not only through grants, but also scholarships and fellowships to help pay for your college and university studies.

Graduate students can apply for the same federal loans that they may have received during their undergraduate studies e.g., the Stafford Loan and Perkins Loan. In order to fund the costs involved with attending college or university graduate students may also be eligible to apply for the credit-based ‘Federal Graduate/Professional Plus Loan’ which offers reasonable interest rates and only requires repayment after graduation.

Sources of Grants for Graduates

It is unlikely that graduates will find grants through the federal financial aid system as the government focus their education grant programs primarily to helping students’ fresh out of high school and to people with little or no post-secondary education in order to access courses of study at undergraduate level.

Most grants that are available to graduate students derive from private organisations and education institutions who aim to support students majoring in a particular area of study.

  • An example would be to take a student who is interested in Nanotechnology. This science related field is advancing at a tremendous pace attracting millions in research funding each year. Students wishing to pursue a graduate study in this subject will have no problem in finding grant, fellowship and scholarship opportunities to help pay for their education providing they demonstrate the academic competence needed to research in this specific area.

Billions of dollars are invested into colleges and universities year after year to fund projects that require the competence of flair of new graduates. If you are planning to study a specific career at graduate level, start your search for grants and alternative financial aid programs by looking for interest specific opportunities.

Grants for Graduate Minorities

Minority students at any academic study level have access to financial aid from several organizations and education institutions. To reduce the cost of attending college and university graduate students from minority backgrounds, whether ethical or non-ethical, can access a surfeit of grant programs specifically intended to encourage participation in underserved areas.

The most popular sources of minority grants and financial aid for graduate students can be found through the following:

  • American Indian Graduate Center – has awarded over $44 million in financial aid since 1969 to graduate students from American Indian and Alaskan Native backgrounds. The organization is located in New Mexico and provides grants and scholarships to graduates Indian American and Alaska native minority students in all fields of study.
  • Black Collegian Organization – supports African American students at graduate and post-graduate level and provides a resource of grant, fellowship and internship programs available to African Americans.
  • National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. – administer and award fellowships with paid internships ranging from $10,000 to $14,000 per academic year to under-represented students from minority backgrounds and women who wish to pursue graduate studies in engineering or science.

Additional Grant Opportunities

National sorority and fraternal organizations often provide grants at various degree levels to their members. Graduates wishing to find out more about these grant opportunities should approach their school chapter for more information.