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If you are a woman who is headed to college, you may be able to find help to pay for your education based on your gender alone. You are considered a minority, and as a result, there are specific grants available for you. You just need to know where to look and be a little aggressive when pursuing potential opportunities.
The first step towards getting any grant, no matter whether it is specifically for female students or not, is to file the FAFSA. This determines your level of financial need, and many non-government grants will want to know how needy you are before offering you the money. Get this filed as early as possible to open the door to the most grant opportunities.
Women are vastly underrepresented in many fields, particularly science, math, and medicine. For this reason, many schools offer grants to encourage women students to enter these fields. If you are interested in studying a scientific field, talk to the department head at your chosen school. You may find that there is a grant available that you had no idea existed. Remember, it never hurts to ask!
Always talk to your financial aid office at the school you are going to attend. It's their job to know what scholarships are available, and they may be able to point you towards some that are specifically designated for female students. Once you start filling out applications, continue with the process. Always follow up, asking if there is anything else you need to do to get your grant application in and noticed.
Whether a grant is gender-specific or not, you need to apply early. Grant money will be awarded as applications come in. If you wait until you are close to the start of the school year, the money may all be gone. Once a school has spent all of the money it is receiving, no more will be made available, no matter how well qualified an applicant may be.
Remember to think outside of the box. Is there a local beauty pageant you qualify to participate in? Consider signing up, and you might earn some scholarship or grant money for school. Is there a local women's society or charity that caters to females? Volunteer your time, and you may get noticed by a local business that has a grant to offer. Apply for any opportunity, scholarship, or grant that you find, and you will get as much money as possible to pay for your education.
