If you are looking for Education Grants For Adults Returning to School then you are at the right place. Whether you’re looking to continue your education, complete a degree, pursue an advanced degree, change careers, acquire new skills, or engage in personal development, there are education grants available to help you achieve your goals.
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The formats and scholarships are not just for teen ages for youngsters. There are millions worth of scholarships and financial assistance that are offered to adults for pursuing the degree of returning to school.
Even if the adults get more benefits and perks than the youngsters if they want to join the school and complete their educational qualifications for any reason. If you are an adult and want to do schooling then you are eligible to get financial assistance for your education. You can also check out our article on free online high school diplomas for adults.
There are hundreds of scholarships offered to adults. However, if you try to find out about such scholarships you might get disappointed because the internet is full of scams and fraud grants. Here the article offers you the best education grants for adults returning to school.
Key Takeaways
- There are scholarships and grants for adults to go back to school.
- You can get money to help pay for college even if you are an adult.
- There are many scholarships and grants available, so you can find one that is a good fit for you.
- Some scholarships and grants are for specific groups of people, such as women or single moms.
- You can apply for as many scholarships and grants as possible to increase your chances of getting financial aid.
- There is no age limit for applying for scholarships and grants.
What are Education Grants for Adults?
Most people have a myth that financial grants are only available to youngsters. But in reality, there is no age limit to get financial grants and grants for the loan. All you need to do is sign up for the free application process to get financial assistance to cover your educational expenses and make your education more affordable. The federal and state government offers grants for the adults returning to school.
In the competitive world, there is a need to obtain qualifications to get employment and earn money. However, some eligibility requirements need to be satisfied by the adults to get the grants. These requirements include financial need, a low-income certificate, belonging to any particular religion, race, or ethnicity group, and many more.
5 Types of Grants For Adults Going Back To College
There are five main kinds of grants that adults can use to go back to school.
1. Federal Pell Grant
Many students need help with college costs. The Pell Grant aids those who really need it. It comes from the U.S. government. It helps pay for school if you can show you don’t have much money.
The grant amount depends on a few things. They look at how much you need, how pricey your school is, and if you go part-time or full-time. Recently, the max Pell Grant was $6,895. But this top limit changes yearly.
2. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
Getting money to go to school can be hard. But the FSEOG grant might help if you don’t have much money. It lets you get from $100 to $4,000 each year that you don’t have to pay back.
This grant works like the Pell Grant, you don’t pay it back. But your school has to take part in the program. The sooner you apply, the better chance you have of getting the FSEOG grant.
How much you get depends on your money situation and where you go to school. Schools look at your need and hand out the grant until the funds run out. So apply early to boost your odds.
3. Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant
Are you a student who wants to be a teacher or work in education? If yes then you may get the TEACH grant. This grant helps pay for college if you agree to teach in a low-income school for four years after graduating.
The TEACH grant can give you up to $4,000 each year to help pay for tuition and other costs. That’s a lot of money that doesn’t have to be paid back if you follow through with teaching in a low-income area.
But be careful, if you don’t complete the four years of teaching, your grant turns into a loan. You then have to pay all that money back, plus interest. So think carefully if the TEACH grant is right for your situation before taking it.
4. State-specific grants
Many places give cash to grown-ups going back to school. One such place is Indiana. Their “You Can. Go Back.” plan offers funds for older learners pursuing a degree. If you fit this, you may get up to $2,000 to pay for classes and fees.
5. University-sponsored grants
Many schools give their own cash help for students. This money comes from large funds. It can be used to pay for classes, living costs, books, and other school needs. Often, adult learners who want to go back to school can get this help too.
For example, the Alliss Help Grant gives between $500 and $2,000 per year. This money goes to adults returning to college at any Minnesota State College. To get this grant, you must show you need cash help.
You also have to meet some other rules. Going back to school was a big choice for me. This grant made it easier to pay for everything.
We have researched and short-listed some of the best and most authentic scholarship programs and grants that make education more affordable for you. Below are a few of these education grants for adults returning to school, let’s have a look:
List of Top 13 Education Grants for Adults Returning to School
The scholarships and grants are meant to reward financial assistance to needy individuals to make their education more affordable. The grants might be in the form of cash rewards, fee payouts, and resources to the funds are directly transferred to the schools as your fees. Some grants also offer funds to cover tuition fees, campus charges, housing costs, traveling, costs, books, and other expenses
However, you may need to know all about the scholarships or grants before applying. Below mentioned are the education grants for adults returning to school along with a short description of them.
| Scholarship | Description | Age Requirement | Award |
| Ford Opportunity Program Scholarship | For parents and adults 25+ | 25+ years old | Up to 90% of tuition and fees |
| Return2College Scholarship | Easy application for anyone 17+ | 17+ years old | $1,000 |
| Executive Women International ASIST | For adults in transition (economic, physical, social) | Pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree | $2,000 – $10,000 |
| College JumpStart Scholarship | Merit-based scholarship | N/A | $1,000 |
| Job-Applications.com Working Parent College Scholarship | For working parents enrolled in college or trade school | 17+ years old, 3.0 GPA, work minimum 12 hours weekly | Varies |
| Boomer Benefits Scholarship | For adults 50+ | 50+ years old, 3.0 GPA, enrolled in college/university | $2,500 |
| Jeannette Rankin National Scholar Grant | For women and non-binary students 35+ | 35+ years old | Up to 5 years of financial assistance |
| Patsy Mink Education Support Award | For women 17+ who are mothers | 17+ years old | $5,000 |
| Imagine America Adult Skills Education Program | For adults 19+ | 19+ years old | $1,000 |
| Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) | Federal grant | N/A | Up to $4,000 |
| Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award | For women pursuing higher education | N/A | $1,000 – $16,000 |
| Unigo $10K Scholarship | Open to all students | N/A | $10,000 |
| Imagine America Scholarship | For non-traditional students in partner trade schools | N/A | $1,000 |
1. Ford Opportunity Program Scholarship
The scholarship from Ford is targeted towards the parents and all the adults who are 25 years or older. The scholarships are specially made for adults who want to pursue their schooling or higher students to achieve a degree or qualification. There are some needs and requirements you need to satisfy to achieve the scholarship grant.
These included you must be more than 25 years of age, you must be pursuing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree and most importantly the expected family contribution should be less than $10000.
One of the biggest benefits of the scholarships is that they cover about 90% of the attendance which includes your tuition fees and other mandatory charges. The adults who are residents of Oregon and Siskiyou County, California are likely to get more benefits from the grant. Every year around 96 scholarships are awarded to the students.
2. Return2College Scholarship
The scholarship scheme offers financial assistance of $1000 to all candidates who are above 17 years of age and want to return to school. The students over 17 years of age are planning to enroll in the upcoming year of the school.
One of the best parts of the scholarship is that it is very easy to apply for a scholarship, all you need to do is fill out the application form and provide a short description about “why you are getting the degree”
The selected candidates will receive a scholarship reward of $1000 which can be used to pay the tuition fees or other educational expenses. The minimum age limit for the scholarship is 17 years and there is no maximum age limit cafeteria. An adult of any age can apply.
3. Executive Women International Adult Students in Scholastic Transition (ASIST)
ASIST stands for the Executive Women International Adult Student in Scholastic Transition and the reward ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 will be offered under the scholarship grant. All the students who are going through a transition period in their lives are eligible to apply for the scholarship. The transition can be economic, physical, or social.
However some eligibility requirements need to be met, these include the applicant must be pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.
4. College JumpStart Scholarship
Under the college JumpStart scholarship, the students will receive a reward of $1000 to cover their educational expenses. The reward is offered based on the merits and accomplishments of the applicant. The only requirement for the scholarship grant is committing to school daily. You need to depict your goals for getting higher education while applying for the scholarship.
5. Job-Applications.com Working Parent College Scholarship
The scholarship grant is offered to parents who want to pursue their higher education or are looking to enroll in any college. The adults who enroll in the Trade schools or similarly accredited programs are eligible for the scholarship. The academic qualification of a 3.0 GPA is required to get the reward under the scholarship.
There is another eligibility where the students need to work a minimum of 12 hours every week. The scholarship is essay-based and you need to write an essay of 500 to 600 words on the given topic.
6. Boomer Benefits Scholarship
The interesting scholarship is made for adults who are at the age of 50 or above. Under the Boomer Benefits scholarship, the reward of $2,500 is offered annually to bear the educational expenses and make education more affordable. However, there are some needs and requirements satisfied by the applicants, these include the 3.0 GPA score and the current enrollment in any renowned college or university.
Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible for the scholarship and have to provide a statement that depicts their experience with community devices and career goals.
7. Jeannette Rankin National Scholar Grant
The women and nonbinary students and women are eligible to get the reward under the scholarship program. The applicant must be 35 or above in age to apply for the Jeannette Rankin National Scholar Grant.
Anyone pursuing a four-year institution or a technical school can apply for the scholarship. Under the grant, the winners are likely to receive educational assistance for the next five years without any restriction.
8. Patsy Mink Education Support Award
The Patsy Mink education support award offers the reward of $5,000 manually to the five winners. The reward is specially made for the women and is rewarded to the mothers of 17 years or above in age. The applicant must be enrolled in any postsecondary education, including technical and vocational schools.
However, the applicant needs to display their financial needs for the scholarship grant. This includes the proof of income and depicts the vocational or occupational goals in the essay as well.
9. Imagine America Adult Skills Education Program
The applicants who are applying for the Imagine America Adult Skills Education program must be 19 years or above in age. The best part of the scholarship is that there is no maximum age cafeteria. The applicant of 19 years or above can apply for the scholarship and receive the reward of $1000 to cover the educational expenses.
10. Federal Grants
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) offer a scholarship of around $4000 annually to students who are pursuing schooling in the academic year 2023-2024. The grants are offered regardless of the age.
The eligibility requirements for the scholarships may differ every year. Moreover, the amount received under the scholarships also depends upon the financial needs of the applicants.
11. Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award
One of the best education grants for adults returning to school is specially made for women. The main motive of the scholarship is to offer financial independence to women in pursuing their higher studies at any age without being a burden on the family. The scholarships grant rewards range from $1,000, $5,000, or $16,000. The rewards can be used to cover educational expenses as well as childcare costs for mothers.
12. Unigo $10K Scholarship
The financial support of $10000 is offered to the students to cover their educational expenses or get affordable education. The scholarship is open to all students regardless of their age and educational journey. However, the students need to provide an essay depicting their response in about 250 words.
Also, to get financial assistance the students must be enrolled in any accredited U.S institution. Moreover, the students must have a good educational record and financial needs to be displayed to get the scholarship.
13. Imagine America Scholarship
The nontraditional students who are over the age are eligible to apply for the scholarship of $1000 to cover their educational expenses. The Imagine America scholarship is made to financially assist needy students and help them succeed in their careers at any age.
However there are eligibility requirements that need to be satisfied by the applicants, they must be part of a non-profit trade school that partners with the Imagine America Foundation.
FAQs
1. How can I get money by going back to school?
For the adults who want to pursue their schooling to get the qualified need to return to the school. However, for individuals with lower incomes, it will be difficult to cover the educational expenses alongside their jobs.
As a solution, they can go for the scholarships and grants offered to adults for returning to the school. The federal government, the state government, and many other industries offer such grants for adults. Federal grants like the Pell Grants and FSEOGs provide financial assistance.
2. Can you get a scholarship in your 30s?
If you have crossed the age of 30 and are looking for scholarships then you can go for the grants which have no age restrictions. These types of scholarships have a minimum age requirement for the applicant and have no maximum age requirements in their eligibility criteria.
You can apply for as many adult learner scholarships as possible to get financial assistance to make your education more affordable.
3. How can a single mom afford to go back to school?
As a single mom, it will be difficult for you to afford school back at that age. In such a situation, you can go for the scholarships and grants that are offered to women and are made socially for mothers. These scholarships will not only cover educational expenses but also provide childcare coverage.
Here you will be given additional funds to hire child care personnel to take reasonable care of your kids during your school time.
4. When is the ideal age to seek scholarships?
There is no best age to apply for the scholarship. Students of any age can apply for the scholarships as soon as they meet all the eligibility requirements of the scholarship. Some scholars allow students below 18 years to apply while some allow students above 18 years to apply for the scholarship.
Even some of the educational grants are offered to senior citizens to allow them to pursue higher studies.
5. Can adults qualify for FAFSA?
You can get help with college costs at any age. Many adults qualify for federal student aid. Just fill out the FAFSA form on time, like younger students do. Don’t miss those key deadlines if you want financial support.
Conclusion
Age is not a restriction from pursuing education. However, it will be difficult for adults who are employed and want to pursue their higher studies. They may face a lack of financial resources to pay their educational expenses. As an alternative, they can go for scholarships and education grants for adults returning to school. These grants can be obtained after meeting all the eligibility requirements and filing application forms.
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