Once you have graduated from high school you may be looking to further your education at college. But this form of higher education is not free, so you will need to find the money to pay for your tuition fees from somewhere. Education costs are expensive – you will typically move away from home and find costs of accommodation, books, transport and tuition mounting up. Luckily federal student aid is there to help if you are eligible. Ideally you will be awarded a grant which is not repayable but if not, you can also apply for low-interest loans or work study programs. These programs find you part time work in the community that helps you earn some money to use to cover your costs.

The first place you should look for education grants for women is the StudentAid.ed.gov website. They are the biggest funder of student aid and offer a number of grants. Grants are only awarded to those in exceptional financial need but amounts available go up to over $5,000 annually for the Pell Grant. Other special grants are available to those studying maths and science (the SMART grant) or teaching (the TEACH grant) but the criteria for eligibility are tough and some come with strings attached following your qualification.

If you are not eligible for federal aid, you should contact your state’s higher education agency or your college to find out if they can offer you anything in terms of financial assistance.

If you want to undertake your studies overseas, but not usually in the western world, you could apply for a Boren Award. These could fund you with $20,000 if you study in countries in Africa or the Middle East for example. These awards are aimed at helping US interests in these countries as part of the national security program.

Finally you could look for a foundation grant. A database run by the Foundation Center includes over 8,000 grants for individuals looking for funding for education, arts, research and other areas.

You may spend a lot of time looking for a grant but to secure yourself a better future will make it all worthwhile.