by Tina Hartley

Created on: October 20, 2007   Last Updated: January 29, 2010

Financing a higher education can be a monumental undertaking but fortunately, there is help available for students. A minority student has access to many resources available only to minorities. It would be advisable to start at basic information sites and refine the search step by step. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website is a great place to start, no matter what your specific needs are. There you will find a wealth of information about applying for financial aid, and links for more information on colleges, costs, funding, and scholarships.

There are grants available through both federal and state programs. Perform a search for your individual state with the keywords; [your state] college grants, or similar terms. Grants do not need to be repaid. Most government aid is need-based and will have specific eligibility criteria. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act was signed into law by former President Bush on September 27, 2007. This act increases funding for Federal Pell Grants by more than $11 billion dollars, over the ensuing five years.

Funding is available for many specific careers. There are grants, fellowships, and scholarships designed to encourage minority to seek careers in the fields of; teaching, research, science; engineering, and others. Many larger companies offer scholarship funds for students in an applicable field of study. Researching the industry or individual companies in the industry may open some doors.

Another excellent source of information is the United States Department of Education. Links are available to locate colleges, funding sources, and perform a career search. An Internet search for minority scholarships will give you several options for non-white students. If you prefer to research off line there are many good books on the subject of funding for minority students. The Minority Student's Complete Scholarship Book by Inc.Student Services, and A Black Student's Guide to Scholarships by Barry Beckham (subtitled Beckham's Guide to Scholarships for Black and Minority Students) are two notable titles.

The scholarship hunt is a time consuming but necessary evil for the majority of college students. The number of scholarships available is enormous. A minority student actually has a leg up on the competition because there are many scholarships available only to minorities. Anything that narrows the field gives you a better chance of being awarded that scholarship.

Scholarship searches such as FastWeb help you set up a profile so you can get easy access to the application process for a customized list of scholarships that you may be eligible for. Other websites such as FinAid offer information on loans, grants, scholarships, and more. FastWeb is highly recommended by institutions and students alike.

Please exercise caution when researching scholarships on the Web. Beware of any site that requires a fee, or makes broad statements such as: 'Guaranteed Money for College!' or 'Billions of Dollars Unawarded!' A good rule of thumb is: if it sounds to good to be true, it is!

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