Grants for older students are designed to meet the needs of people who are enrolled in a school program at what is considered as an advanced age. These students are sometimes referred to as nontraditional students.

You might not understand what I mean yet but you will soon enough.

These students are usually those who left high school and joined the work force immediately and never went to college, or went to college to receive a degree but never finished so they are going back to school to finish their education. The return to college might be in an effort to get higher qualifications for brighter job prospects or simply to change a career path.

Grants for this class of students are somewhat different from other types of grants because it does not demand that the recipient be enrolled full time in an accredited college, unlike many other grants that state that as a specific requirement. The awarding foundations understand that the majority of older students are enrolled part time in school because of their commitments to family and jobs. The fact that they have more bills to pay, and family responsibilities to take care of while paying for school as well is considered; this is besides the fact that many such students might not qualify for financial aid because they already earn more income.

There are many myths about grants for older students. Many people think they don't exist; many older students who go back to school often overlook grants as an option for funding their educational expenses. They do this because they feel grants and scholarships are for younger and more "traditional" students. Some feel they might be too average in their academic records to merit an award so they resist the urge to even consider it.

These fears are largely unfounded because even most regular scholarships do not specify an age limit on their application requirements; they are open to any student enrolled in an accredited institution regardless of age. Besides there are many grants that specifically request older students to apply. My point is no matter your age or academic performance, there are definitely grants out there for you, simply search for them.

Adult school scholarship programs

There are a large number of schools that presently run individual scholarship programs for older students. Here are a few of them I came across recently:

• The University of Wisconsin operates two scholarships specifically for Adult students.

These grants are:
1. The Alma baron second chance for women. This grant is only available to women who are over 45 years old. The grant awarded is for $5,000 and is renewable for five years.

2. Osher re-entry scholarship. Any returning student between the ages of 25 and 50 is eligible for this grant. The sum given out to recipients is $5,000.

• The University of Louisville in Kentucky is another university that offers Adult grants to its students. The foundation is called the Beth. K. Fields grant and is awarded to students not younger than 25 years. The award covers full tuition and is awarded once a year.

Non-profit organization grants

The grants are not limited to individual schools, there are also many private foundations out there just waiting to give you some money towards funding your return to school.

The executive women's international is one such foundation. They run a program called the adult students in scholastic transit program (ASIST) that offers up to $2,500 in grants to deserving students. A total amount of over $250,000 was given out last year all over the United States by EWI. The criterion for awarding the grant is the extent of the individual's need, so the organization will require proof of your inability to cover the expenses. The program is run through various chapters nationwide.

Local chapters of EWI collaborate with educational providers and social services agencies to identify potential recipients of the aid. The recommended students from each chapter are then further screened at the corporate level to determine who the recipients for that year will be. To apply you have to get in contact with the chapter nearest to you as each one has its own deadlines for applications. You should go to their website if you need more information on the program.

There are other non-profit organization grants available.

Displaced homemaker scholarship which is awarded by the association on American Indian affairs to older students who are returning to school after taking time off to raise their children. The awarded amount is $1,500. The award is based on need and is specifically aimed at students who would not have been able to complete their educational goal because of family commitments.

There are a number a number of companies who give financial aid to their employees who want to return to school to get higher degrees. This is especially true when the intending student is going back to study a course that will be helpful to the company. This is also a viable option to explore as an additional source of educational funding.

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