Higher education increases career opportunities
Obtaining a college education plays an essential role in today's workplace. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that almost 90 percent of the fastest-growing and best-paying jobs require some college. Federal and state governments, learning institutions, and non-profit organizations each use government grant funding to pay for school grants. Many grants are specifically designed to target minorities, such as women, and low-income students.
General Educational Development Test (GED)
Studies by the Alliance for Educational Excellence and the National Woman's Law Center indicate that less than 50 percent of all minority women graduate from high school. To combat this major cause of poverty in the U.S., federal, state, and county governments provide grant money for free General Educational Development Test (GED) and literacy courses. To find a local GED or literacy program contact your state's department of education.
Federal Pell Grant Program
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides students with money to pay for college tuition. The qualifiers used to determine funding for the program are eased for minority women. This means that the chance for approval and higher grant funding is higher for minority applicants. To apply for a Pell Grant contact the college or university
For Medical Students
Minority women seeking to enter the health-care field can take advantage of Health Professions Student Loans, Including Primary Care Loans/Loans for Disadvantaged Students Program. The U.S. Department of Health administers this program and the federal government offers grants and subsidized very low interest loans to disadvantaged and minority students. In addition, the HRSA also offers loan forgiveness programs that allow minority students to have their loans forgiven in exchange for working in low income and disadvantaged areas for a certain period.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Grant Programs
Minority women are often under-represented in the areas of science, engineering, and mathematics. As a result, the federal government encourages minority women to enter these fields through grants and loans. Many of these grant and loan programs can be found through such sites as Grants.gov and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. The Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS) and Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program are an example of two such a grant programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers both programs.
Hispanic Women
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute is a non-profit institution founded by three Hispanic Congressmen to encourage students to stay in school and provide college scholarships to qualifying Hispanics. Minority women of Hispanic decent can find college funding, fellowships, and internship when visiting their website.
Tags: Pell Grant, Development Test, Educational Development, Educational Development Test, federal government