If you are currently unemployed it’s easy to feel trapped in a catch 22 situation. After all, you need a job to support yourself but in order to improve your chances of finding a job or to get a better one you need to have your time free for study. The federal government does offer help to people in this kind of situation and there are a number of federal grants, loans and work study programs which are worth looking into and you might find it’s not as hard as you think.
Basically what you’re looking to do is apply for financial aid for the appropriate training. One of the most useful resources you’ll find is the Federal Department of Education and Labor and I’ve included a link to their website plus others at the bottom of this page to further help you.
Along with that resource you should also call Federal Student Aid Application (1-800-4FEDAID). If you go looking and keep at it you’ll find that there are colleges and local offices which can help you apply for Pell Grant scholarships or cheaper federal student loans.
Important: It’s obviously very important to check with your local unemployment office that you can continue to receive your unemployment benefits before taking on any training program or attending any class. Unfortunately not every kind of study or education course will allow excuse you from the obligation to always make yourself available for work so be very aware of that.
Federal Student Aid
Pell grants are available for the unemployed. They are popular and well respected however you need to bear in mind that they are needs-based and generally awarded to those with the greatest need for financial assistance. One of the most important considerations when applying for a Pell grant is the total income of your family, the lower it is the more chance you’ll have of being awarded money under the scheme.
Federal student loans on the other hand are awarded no matter what the total income of your family is but we need to make a clear distinction here – a Pell grant never has to be paid back while a student loan certainly does, albeit at a lower rate of interest than anything you’ll find from a traditional lender. If you can’t get a Pell grant then a federal student loan is the next best thing to go for.
Federal Aid Administrators – if you already know the course and learning institution you’d like to attend then the first thing to look for is if they have a person who works specifically in the area of giving advice to those seeking financial government aid. Many educational institutions have been given clear guidelines to take the financial situation of any unemployed person looking for a Pell grant into serious consideration.
There are many requirements to be met when applying for any federal aid, these include
You must not be behind on your payments for any current federal student loans
You must have U.S citizenship or be an eligible non-citizen
You should have your high school diploma or a GED equivalent. While this is certainly one of the main factors there is some leeway here if you can show that you will benefit substantially from the training you will receive as a result of being given the loan or grant.
Other Forms Of Financial Assistance
While the U.S Department of Education offers the majority of help out there is certainly isn’t the only help available. Talk directly with the college or school you wish to attend about your financial situation and plans to further your education. Along with providing you with access to an expert on how best to go about applying for various school loans and grants they may also have specific state scholarships and programs which could help you. Some institutions actually have programs especially for people who have recently been made unemployed or lost their job.
A visit to your local One-Stop Career Center is well worthwhile and there are a lot of funds available from the U.S Department of Labor which could help you. As you can see, it’s all about getting informed, doing the leg work and asking everywhere you can think of for help. Assistance is out there but you need to dig for it.
What Will A Pell Grant For Unemployed People Give Me?
A federal Pell Grant is there for anyone taking a course which will lead to an undergraduate degree/cert. Once awarded they can be used quite freely to pay for a number of different aspects of your education. These include…
Tuition fees
Your books and transport costs
Your rent/living expenses
The maximum amount you can receive from a Pell grant is currently $5,350. To apply you’ll need to fill out the official application form called a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Useful Websites To Help You
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov/
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html