SMART Grants - Educational Grants for the Student of Math, Science and Languages

by: Michael Saunders
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grants assist those undergraduate postsecondary students that major in foreign languages or certain designated technical fields. Financial grant assistance is provided on need-basis to help these students meet their educational expenses.

SMART Grants are overseen by the Department of Education and fall under the Federal Student Aid Information Center. In order to be eligible for a SMART Grant, students must be enrolled in eligible schools that may be public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education. These can include but are not limited to universities, colleges, hospital schools of nursing, vocational-technical schools and for- profit institutions.

Only specific majors are eligible to be considered for a SMART Grant. These are Science (including life sciences, physical science and computer science), Technology, Engineering, Critical foreign language studies, Liberal Arts and Sciences Mathematics, and certain natural resource conservation and multidisciplinary programs.
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SMART Grants - Educational Grants for the Student of Math, Science and Languages
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About The Author The author edits a site featuring Grants for Education and another Government Grants site providing info on every grant the federal government offers. Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Additional Resources

category - Education Grants

Student Loans Available Directly from the Federal Government
There are different variations of a Federal Direct Student Loan available; these are dependent on whether or not the student is eligible for government assistance. Need based programs include the Stafford Loan and the Direct Subsidized Loan; while non-need based programs are the Direct PLUS program, and the Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

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Financing Your Education - Federal Perkins Loans
The Federal Perkins Loan Program helps those undergraduate postsecondary students that cannot afford their educational expenses without financial assistance with a low interest loan. The loan is in place to help them meet their educational expenses to the completion of a postsecondary degree.

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Financing Your Education - Work Study Opportunities
The Federal Work-Study Program assists those undergraduate postsecondary students that cannot afford their educational expenses without financial assistance by providing them with part-time employment. Not only does the Federal Work-Study Program provide part-time employment, it also encourages these students to participate in community service activities.

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Higher Education Challenge Grants Program
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has recently constituted the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program in an attempt to boost and enhance the quality of formal, postsecondary-level agricultural sciences education.

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