Look to nonprofits and corporations for less competitive local grant programs.
Obtaining a grant is a competitive endeavor, and for good reason: a grant is a gift you don't have to repay. For grants that are based on merit and expertise, you may need to spend some time compiling an impressive application complete with references, transcripts and essays. For need-based grants, you may only need to meet economic criteria to qualify. Regardless of the reason for your financial need, there are many grants available to individual minority women to supplement the cost of education, career advancement and even periods of economic hardship.
AAUW Grants
The American Association of University Women pays grants and fellowships to women of all ethnicities with the intention of helping them break economic barriers. The AAUW's American Fellowships, for example, grant up to $30,000 to individual women to help them complete postdoctoral work. The AAUW also offers Career Development Grants of up to $12,000, which are meant to help women obtain a graduate degree or other professional credential. Additionally, this program favors women of color.
The Business and Professional Women's Association
Though the Business and Professional Women's Association is not currently accepting applications as of 2011, it will soon provide grant money to women looking to further their careers or obtain more education. Unlike other education grants or scholarships, this program grants money for a wider variety of purposes, including the opportunity for women to attend non degree-granting seminars and conferences.
Government Grants
The government only grants money to individuals in rare cases, but obtaining an education is one of these instances. If you're at an economic disadvantage, don't hesitate to apply for the federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grant to help fund your education. The Pell Grant is a need-based renewable grant that pays up to $5,550 to an individual each school year. The FSEOG is a similar grant for people who are especially financially needy, and it pays up to $4,000 per school year. Both grants can only be used on tuition and school expenses, however, and often the government pays these funds directly to the school before sending you a check for the remainder.
Other Grants
Both the federal government and state governments extend money to individuals in specific circumstances. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Individuals and Households program (IHP) grants money to individuals to help them repair or rebuild their homes after a presidentially-declared natural disaster. The government also funds grants for individual schools to disburse to minority students in order to increase minority participation in a certain field. For example, the Minority Biomedical Research Support grant is offered at two and four-year colleges to boost the number of minority researchers in the biomedical sciences.
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