Federal Grants for College
A degree at an accredited 4-year college or university is a goal that all American high school students should strive for. With a college education, one can qualify for higher paying jobs and achieve greater success in life. A high paying job results in larger checks to Uncle Sam come tax day. Therefore, it is to the advantage of the United States government, and to the country as a whole, to provide federal grants for college so that every American can access the opportunities that come with a college degree.
College tuition is expensive and not all families have the means to afford it. According to the U.S. Department of Education, four years of undergraduate tuition and housing costs $51,216 at a public university and $128,736 at a private university. If the tuition increases from the past decade continue at the same rate for the next ten years, the cost of a college degree will skyrocket to $70,166 for public and $160,920 for private by 2020. Online colleges and vocational schools (also known as career schools or trade schools) are less expensive but can still be outside the range of affordability. Fortunately, federal grants for college are available to any American that lacks the financial means but has the intelligence and the determination needed to be accepted to a college.
The United States federal government offers four different grant programs to help you pay for college:
- Pell Grant - Named after late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, The Pell Grant is a yearly award to low income students that have not yet obtained their undergraduate degree. Since this is by far the largest and most popular federal grant for college, we have devoted an entire article to the subject: Federal Pell Grant.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) - If you meet the income requirements of the Pell Grant, you may also be eligible for additional help through the FSEOG program. This grant for college only gives funds to students in extraordinary financial need. In 2010, the FSEOG awarded nearly $960 million to over 1.3 million students. Each award fell between $100 and $4000 with an average award of $736. To qualify, you must meet the income requirements and attend a participating college for your undergraduate degree. When a student completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a score called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is calculated based on the financial situation of the student's household. In 2010, your EFC is calculated as zero if you and your parent's yearly income is $31,000 or less. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are first awarded to those with the lowest EFC. The amount of FSEOG grant money you will receive is up to your college, but in general the less your family is able to contribute to your tuition, the higher your grant.
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service College Grant - On July 1st 2010, the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant provided by the Higher Education Opportunity Act took effect. If a parent on military duty dies after September 11, 2001 in the Iraq or Afghanistan Wars, their children receive the maximum possible dollar amount from their Pell Grant award. If these same children do not meet the income criteria for the Pell Grant, they can receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. The award amount is equal to the maximum Pell Grant possible, but is reduced if the student attends part-time.
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH) - If you wish to become a teacher that educates students from low income families, then the TEACH Grant can help you pay for your teaching degree. It contributes up to $4000 per year for four years of undergraduate study and two years of graduate study. To be eligible, you must plan to work at a public or private school within a less advantaged neighborhood teaching a subject that has a shortage of qualified educators. Examples of such subjects include science, foreign language, and special education. If for some reason you are unable to fulfill this requirement, your grant converts to a government loan which must be paid back in full.
As of Tuesday, April 29th, 2025, the federal government is also taking student applications for the following college grants, scholarships, fellowships, and awards:
- FY25 School Violence Prevention Program
Deadline: June 18th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $73,000,000 - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program CFDA Number 84.370A
Deadline: July 7th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $17,500,000 - Archaeology Program Senior Research Awards
Deadline: July 1st, 2025
Funds Available ($): $6,000,000 - D.4 University Leadership Initiative 2 (ULI2)
Deadline: June 26th, 2025 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)
Deadline: September 5th, 2025 - Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (2026-2029)
Deadline: May 16th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $9,000,000 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)
Deadline: September 5th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $170,000,000 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) Department of Defense Army
Deadline: September 5th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $170,000,000 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)
Deadline: September 5th, 2025 - US Embassy Abidjan Cross Border University Partnership Initiatives
Deadline: April 30th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $250,000 - NIA Postdoctoral Fellowship Award to Promote Broad Participation in Translational Research for AD/ADRD (F32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: December 8th, 2027 - 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program
Deadline: May 8th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $28,000,000 - NIA Predoctoral Fellowship Award to Promote Broad Participation in Translational Research for AD/ADRD (F31 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: December 8th, 2027 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Deadline: May 15th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $70,000,000 - Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program
Deadline: December 31st, 2025
Funds Available ($): $5,000,000 - NIDCD Research Dissertation Fellowship for Au.D. Audiologists (F32)
Deadline: January 7th, 2028 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Program
Deadline: December 31st, 2025
Funds Available ($): $300,000,000 - Engaging Students in English
Deadline: May 4th, 2025 - Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: January 7th, 2028 - Building Biomedical Engineering Education, Research, and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU eBETA) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: September 30th, 2025 - University Student Research Challenge (USRC)
Deadline: June 26th, 2025 - Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program (UE5/T34)
Deadline: January 25th, 2027 - Department of Defense Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI)
Deadline: July 31st, 2029 - Research and Development (RAD) Directed Energy (RD) University Assistance Instruments
Deadline: July 18th, 2029 - Gen-4 Engineering Research Centers
Deadline: May 9th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $104,000,000 - Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required)
Deadline: May 7th, 2027 - Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34)
Deadline: May 27th, 2026 - NIA MSTEM: Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (ADAR) through Undergraduate Education (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: May 25th, 2026 - NIDCD's Mentored Research Education Pathway for Otolaryngology Residents and Medical Students (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: September 29th, 2026 - NIDCD Research Dissertation Fellowship for Au.D. Audiologists (F32)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) (T32)
Deadline: January 29th, 2026 - Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) (T32)
Deadline: January 29th, 2026 - Enhancing Biomedical Engineering, Imaging, and Technology Acceleration (BEITA) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: September 30th, 2025 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31-Diversity)
Deadline: September 7th, 2025 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32)
Deadline: September 7th, 2025 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship for Students at Institutions Without NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30)
Deadline: September 7th, 2025 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Senior Fellowship (Parent F33)
Deadline: September 7th, 2025 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship for Students at Institutions with NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30)
Deadline: September 7th, 2025 - Interactive Digital Media (IDM) Biomedical Science Resources for Pre-College Students and Teachers (SBIR) (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: September 5th, 2025 - Strategic Prevention Framework - Partnerships for Success for Communities, Local Governments, Universities, Colleges, and Tribes/Tribal Organizations
Deadline: June 5th, 2025
Funds Available ($): $16,500,000 - BRAIN Initiative Fellows: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)
Deadline: August 11th, 2025 - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-sponsored National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32)
Deadline: August 8th, 2025 - University Nuclear Leadership Program- Scholarship and Fellowship Support
Deadline: October 14th, 2030
Funds Available ($): $50,000,000
In addition to the above federal grants for college, you can obtain grant money from your state and directly from the school you are attending. Many states provide grants to residents that attend a public college located within the state. States also offer financial grants similar to the Pell Grant. For example, the Cal Grant provides up to $12,192 per year to low income students attending University of California schools. Universities will commonly offer grants directly to students. These will be college grants are based on financial aid, merit, or a combination of both. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, gives an average of $31,926 per recipient of their grant.
© 2025 Federal Grants