Federal Grant Program – Different Types of Grants

If you are in need of a certain Federal grant program, just take a look and you will notice that there are so many, it’s literally hard to keep up with each one. Here is an example of the various grant categories that are out there:
* Minorities
* Women
* Minority women
* Business owners
* Research
* Single fathers
* Non-profit organizations
* Small business owners
* Home improvement
* Unemployed
* Utility bills
* Troubled teens
* School / college
* First time homeowners
* Single moms
* Home assistance for the Disabled
* Home assistance for Senior
* Teachers

Choosing a Federal grant program is not difficult to do-it’s the approval process that is a tedious task. Because there are so many, I have chosen to select a few programs to discuss and then I will let you know where you can find all of them.

Federal Pell Grants

These grants are given directly to the awarded student. If you have not received your first bachelor’s degree, you are then eligible. Any student looking to receive a teacher’s license or certification after receiving their bachelor’s degree is also eligible. There are many factors to determine if you will be awarded this type of grant. Some of those factors include, financial need, full-time or part-time status, cost to attend school, and attendance can all play a major role in the decision process.

Grants for Women

The government will not give a direct grant to a specific woman. There are over 900 agencies that support women that will go through an approval process to receive an award on a yearly basis. Some of these agencies are for the following: Small Business Administration (helping women with small businesses), The Office of Public Health and Science (educating women in high risk areas about the risks of HIV/AIDS), and the National Institutes of Health (deals with the research of women’s mental health).

Federal Grants for Small Businesses

The federal government does not award private for-profit small businesses (unless you are set up as a non-profit agency only organized for charitable purposes) (see the Small Business Administration for details); however, there are many resources available for small businesses. One Federal grant program is the Small Business Administration (SBA). Being awarded any financial assistance is a very competitive process and there are many guidelines set in place.

Federal Grant-Making Agency Resources

Here are just a few agencies that have been set in place to help individuals to receive different types of assistance. You can find all of these online or you can research some at your local library.

Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Department of Education Grants and Contracts Information
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Department of Transportation (DOT)