Grants For Online-Providing Educational Opportunities For More Students

Grants For Online-Providing Educational Opportunities For More Students

Colleges and universities are reporting summer enrollment increases as a result of a recent Pell Grant expansion. The expansion, part of an education bill that President Barack Obama signed into law earlier this year, went into effect July 1st. It came at a time when an MSNBC report noted that people in this recession have been particularly choked with debt and uncertain about the future and a Sallie Mae study noted families have been relying on more money from sources such as grants to help pay for college.

Summer enrollment at the University of Wyoming increased by 5.2 percent over last year, from 5,812 students to 6112, at least in part as a result of the Pell Grant, according to an August news release from the institution. At Middle Tennessee State University, summer enrollment was up 8.31 percent from last summer, with 8,603 students increasing to 9,318, a Daily News Journal article in August noted. Dr. Deb Sells, Enrollment and Academic Services Provost at Middle Tennessee State, attributed the increase to distance learning enrollment as well as summer Pell Grant availability, a news release from the institution noted.

Pell Grants are designed for students with financial needs and as of July 1, they were expected to be awarded to about 617,000 more students than last year, with the average grant, at $3,865, about $220 more than students last year averaged, according to a June article in US News & World Report. Also as of July 1, the federal government was expected to launch Iraq and Afghanistan Service grants. Through these grants, college students who lost a parent or guardian serving in these countries after Sept. 11, 2001, could receive more than $5,000 toward college tuition and fees, the report noted.

In addition to the Pell Grant, assistance from some states, colleges, universities and technical schools this year increased. Students in Arkansas, for example, recently benefited from a scholarship program that expanded with help from a new state lottery. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln this year added Chancellor's Scholarships that, as one of 1,500 scholarships valued at more than $12 million, provide students with $2,000 in additional support, an August report in the York News Times noted.

Private institutions also have been increasing scholarship and grant offerings, while slowing tuition hikes and in some instances keeping tuition at last year's rates. Scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid at private colleges and universities increased by 6.8 percent between fall 2009 and 2010, according to a June report from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. At Wisconsin's private colleges and universities during the 2008-2009 academic year, 71 percent of the $18,478 average freshman financial aid package was from scholarships, the website for the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities shows.

Many families rely on grants and scholarships to keep costs for tuition and fees down. The average family's budget for college tuition and fees comes largely from their own income and savings (37 percent) and, behind that, from grants and scholarships (23 percent), the Sallie Mae public poll for the 2009-2010 academic year shows. Families in the recession have had to work more hours, cut back on other spending and rely on more money from sources such as these in order to pay for tuition and fees, the Sallie Mae study shows.

In addition to the Pell Grant, the federal government offers Teacher Education Assistance, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity and Academic Competitiveness grants and more. Many states also offer student grants for college. Families and students as well can look toward large corporations, non-profit organizations, community and civic groups that offer scholarships for campus-based and distance learning programs. The costs of tuition and fees might also be offset by work study program participation and tax credits and deductions.

Scholarships and grants for online college and traditional institutions are typically provided when institutions are accredited by nationally recognized agencies. When an institution is accredited, that means it meets certain standards, and students are more likely able to transfer credits for their degree. The U.S. Department of Education website includes a list of accredited institutions and programs.

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