Obama Reveals $4 billion Housing Budget

Good news for Americans – the Obama administration awarded almost $4 billion dollars in support of construction projects to create public housing, create jobs, retrofit housing, and complete construction on housing throughout the United States, the White House reports.

The grants will go to supporting housing development, energy-efficient homes, create green jobs, promote stable communities and recovery to families who need it the most. Over 3,100 public housing projects will be affected as part of this stimulus.

In the Top 10 list of priorities in 2010 are grants to states for low-income housing projects as well as a public housing capital fund. [...read full story]

Government Grants

Government grants help individuals who need money to prosper in life get the financial assistance they require without ever having to repay. Both state and federal government agencies provide government grants to individuals, professionals, non-profit organizations, and more.

Government grants require that all applicants fill out applications for government grants that are relevant to them. Money for government grants is based on eligibility and funding and all government grants have varying deadlines, so ensure that you submit your application before the deadline. Once you submit your application, it takes a few weeks for a review board to decide to approve or reject your grant requests.[...read full story]

Housing Grants

The budget for housing grants in 2010-2011 is $42 billion. Approved housing grants applicants can receive between $500 and $50,000 per year. Applicants can apply each year for various reasons, whether to pay rent, mortgage; to buy a home or refit their homes to make them energy efficient.

This is the main category of grants where many housing grants go unclaimed. Housing grants help make people's lives easier by taking away the stress of investing a large amount of your own money into a home. Housing grants are especially important for people who spend more than a third of their monthly income on rent.[...read full story]

Personal Grants

Personal grants cover many different needs and typically range from $500 to $50,000 grants. There are personal grants for seniors, personal grants to help with children's needs; personal grants for women assistance, medical needs, transportation, debt and other life-related needs. People can apply for as many personal grants as they want, so long as they are relevant.

In many cases, people apply for personal grants when they are considered low-income applicants. Not all applicants are low-income applicants. Personal grants are made available to anyone for any reason the government deems they should provide financial assistance for the betterment of its citizens. Personal grants never have to be repaid, but there may some conditions placed on the approval.[...read full story]

College Grants

College grants normally don't exceed $5,500, unless there is a very special circumstance. Of all government grants, college grants are the most commonly used since students typically don't have much income yet must pay for school. College grants exist for both undergraduate and graduate students and they cover tuition as well as other costs (such as books, room and board, etc.).

Pell grants, TEACH grants, and national SMART grants are the most common types of college grants and are awarded on a needs-base. In the 2009/2010 school year, college grants averaged out to $2,278 per student, with a maximum award of $5,350.[...read full story]

Business Grants

The budget for 2010/2011 business grants is $34 billion, and for small business grants is $100 million. Business grants are for people who are considering starting their own business, or need significant business development. Business grants help to support research and development, employee training, equipment and more.

Whether the business grants are for established businesses or for new businesses, this is one of the few grants that require a proposal prior to the application. The proposals should outline the needed business grants funding, the purpose of the grant, and the expected positive outcome once a business grant is received. Business grants can be extremely helpful with the longevity of a business.[...read full story]

Minority Grants

Minority grants tend to fund a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $50,000 to different groups of people deemed minorities by the government. Most often, minority grants are awarded to minorities based on ethnicity, such as African-American or Hispanic-Americans. However, ethnicity is not the only way to qualify for minority grants. Women, too, receive minority grants if they can show that they are somehow being oppressed because of gender.

College students who have disabilities can also apply for minority grants. Corporations also distribute minority grants to encourage diversity in the workplace. Although the chances are very high of being approved for minority grants if you are a minority, remember to take special care in completing your application correctly and fully.[...read full story]

Grants for Women

Grants for Women aim to accomplish what many affirmative action plans do - to give women a push forward and even out the playing field. The minimum award is $500 up to a maximum of $50,000 in grants for women in 2010. In the eyes of the federal government, women are seen as minorities, and so applying for grants for women will almost always guarantee a grant approval.

Women looking to get their professional lives on track should apply for grants for women. Other grants for women include Business Grants for Women, Educational Foundation and Women Grants, Grants for Single Mothers, and Female Nurse Grants.[...read full story]

Green Grants

The expense of new technology often dissuades people from retro-fitting their homes to become more energy efficient. That is why the government offers green grants to upgrade your home and offset the expenses. In fact, green grants are at the forefront of government priorities, making available a number of green grants.

Green grant programs include Retrofit Grants, Renewable Heat Grants, Renewable Power Grants, and Better Building Partnership Grants. Savings include $50-$400 for every kW saved, or up to $60 per appliance. Green grants also cover 100% of remodeling, up to $10,000. If the applications are completed correctly, nearly all applicants receive green grants.[...read full story]

Health Grants

The federal government works with local health agencies to distribute health grants. Health grants help successful applicants to complete health-related goals, programs and services. Health grants will often support initiatives that fall into four broad categories: in lieu of health services for which the applicant would pay; to address major national health issues for which there is not yet infrastructure or department to address the issues; healthy promotion programs where community participation is essential; and for research projects to further the development and delivery of knowledge, policies or programs.

Often, health grants requires proposals before the application form, so make sure to get information about specific health grants for which to apply.[...read full story]

State Grants

State grants are meant to create jobs and give back to the local community; individual improvement and to stimulate and maintain a healthy economy. State grants fund everything from homes, to education to minorities, but the only condition on state grants is that you have to live in the state of which grant you are applying.

For a list of all available state grants, purchase a government grants kit to guide you through the process. Such kits will tell you what state grants are available, the requirements for each particular grant, and notable deadlines for applications. Make note of particular state grants require a proposal prior to the application.[...read full story]

Low Income Grants

Low income grants typically cover education grants for students, housing grants for low-income families, small business grants and more. Low income grants are the overarching grants category that low-income families turn to, to see what grants are available to them. Low income grants is an umbrella term for many of the grants distributed to applicants who must demonstrate financial need in their applications or proposals. Many government grants are technically low income grants, excluding some research grants, some small business grants, or some education grants. For a current list of available low income grants, purchase a government grants kit, which will help you see for which grants you are eligible, and how much funding you can acquire.[...read full story]

Travel Grants

Travel grants are often awarded to students who want to pursue international studies; small businesses wanting to expand and make a positive difference internationally; research and development initiatives for businesses large and small; for people who need special medical attention overseas (often in partnership with medical grants.

Travel grants often mean the difference between growth or demise of the future of a student, business or person and as such are awarded liberally to applicants who demonstrate need. Travel grants are an effective way to exposing a person or business to different cultures, different knowledge or research, and increase the ways in which they can become successful.[...read full story]

Teaching Grants

Teaching grants for 2010 allot an average total of $4,000 for a full grant, which is an increase from last year's $2,941 per teaching grant applicant. Teaching grants are for teachers who need funding to further the goals of their programs. Those who teach children with disabilities or children with special needs are also eligible to receive teaching grants.

There are also teaching grants for teachers to pursue professional goals globally. These are supported by teaching grants because the effects that teachers have on students, the community, and the academic and professional futures of their students is very positive. Teaching grants also come specific to various programs such as music, art, science, languages and more.[...read full story]

Pell Grants

Average awards for Pell grants in 2009 were $3,611. This year, Pell grants will provide an average of $5,550 per approved applicant. College and university are very expensive, sometime costing upwards of $30,000.

Pell grants are awarded to eligible applicants who demonstrate they need the money. Pell grants are awarded based on 4 criteria: expected family financial contribution, cost of attendance, student's enrollment status, and whether the student is enrolled for a full year or less. Often, students need to be enrolled as a full-time student, with a minimum of 60% course load. Pell grants never have to be repaid and roughly 5,400 institutions participate in Pell grants.[...read full story]

Nursing Grants

Nursing grants allot a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $50,000 to approved applicants. Nursing grants help nursing students cover their tuition costs. The federal government feels these grants are important because the demand for nurses is high, so nearly all applicants are approved to get nursing grants for school.

Nursing grants for minority students are also commonly awarded as part of the solution to fix the weakening nursing profession in the US. Nursing grants for minorities heavily target international students.[...read full story]

Graduate Grants

Graduate grants are often available through education grants, but are sometimes offered as separate grants. Graduate grants for post-graduate studies for students who have an undergraduate degree or equivalent, who want to extend their education into graduate studies.

Before applying for graduate grants, see which graduate grants are available in your area because often graduate grants are distributed for very specific programs and intentions. Graduate grants support tuition, research and development of thesis projects, and more. Often, professional organizations who want special research done will allow for their employees to continue education, in which case they may supplement most of the cost of tuition.[...read full story]