The Type Of Grant You Need



First off, there is something you absolutely MUST know: you might not even need a grant, It could be that you need an entitlement rather than a grant, or maybe there is are no grants available to fill your needs but there are a whole bunch of loans. If you don’t know the difference, then it will be very hard for you to get the money you need.

First off, what exactly are grants? Grants are: money granted to you that you never have to pay back.

As we talked about in the introduction, you simply don’t qualify for most government or private grants. However, there are still grants that you can receive. Every grant always comes with conditions. For example:

“If you meet the following qualifications, AND prove a need, AND present a compelling proposal, AND present an accurate budget, AND allow us to check on your progress, AND send us proof of the outcome, THEN we will put you in competition for this grant.”

Now you know what I mean when I talk about “conditions”. That sounds like a lot of stuff to get through. And sometimes it is, but I will teach you step-by-step how to get through it all.

For now, all you need to know is that a grant is money that is granted to you that you will never have to pay back. It is money that is given to you after you agree to some conditions. It is money that is given after competing grant applications are compared to each other. The winning grant applications get the money.

Now, let’s move onto something called Entitlements:

Entitlements are in many ways like benefits. Entitlements are simply programs that, if you qualify, will pay you money or provide services for you. Some examples of entitlements are:

o Social Security
o Medicare
o Unemployment
o Worker’s Compensation


So what’s so great about entitlements? Well, first of all they are money that is granted to you which you will not have to pay back, and second: there are a TON
of them! In fact, you might even already qualify for several of them and not even know about it (I will help you find out).

Right now, you might be entitled to free winterization of your home, free mechanical upgrades for your car or even free help with your utilities.

Entitlements are there for everyone in the United States. You just have to know where to look for them and what it takes to qualify for them.

There will be a whole section on entitlements later on in this eBook, but for now just know that entitlements are benefits that you may be qualified to receive AND That there are a LOT of them.

Loans obviously have one major fundamental difference: Loans are money that you have to pay back and there is an interest charge. There are federally guaranteed loans for just about any purpose. If you are starting a business, there is a low, cost, minimum requirement loan for you. If you are going to college, there are loans for you. If you are buying a house, there’s a loan.

Basically, loans are a way to get money fairly easily, with not a lot of hassles. They do take some paperwork and some preparation, but they are available virtually for everyone – of course, the major drawback of loans when comparing them to grants is that you do have to pay loans back.

So, you have three basic ways to get money for your family: Grants, Entitlements and Loans. Now comes the question; which is right for you? Well, that depends on your situation.

Let’s talk it out and see which way of getting some extra money for your family’s goals is most appropriate for you.

If you need the money right away and your family has an income above the Federal Poverty Line, (see below) a loan is probably the right way for you to go.

2003 HHS Poverty Guidelines

Size of
Family Unit 48 Contiguous
States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii
1 $ 8,980 $11,210 $10,330
2 12,120 15,140 13,940
3 15,260 19,070 17,550
4 18,400 23,000 21,160
5 21,540 26,930 24,770
6 24,680 30,860 28,380
7 27,820 34,790 31,990
8 30,960 38,720 35,600
For each additional
person, add 3,140 3,930 3,610


You probably don’t qualify for very many, if any, entitlements and a grant is a longer process than you want to undertake if you need the money quickly. Check the chart above to see where your family stands.

Now, most entitlement programs use 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to qualify you. So, if you have a family of 3 and make below $22,890.00 a year, you may qualify for some entitlements. If you fit this category, you will be able to see what entitlements you and your family may qualify for later on in this eBook.

If your family income puts you well above the guidelines, you may want to look at guaranteed federal loan programs.

These programs are a little more restrictive about what you can use the money for, but the process is fairly simple and fairly quick. If you fit into this category, you will be able to learn all about it later on in the eBook.

Ok, one more thing you should know is that the ideal situation for receiving a grant is when you don’t really need the money immediately. Grants usually take a while, they are not instant. If you are getting by fine and have some time to wait, then a grant is for you.

NOTE: Most grants are awarded twice a year, some are awarded every 3 months. Almost all grants have a deadline and If you miss it, you will have to wait to apply at the beginning of the next grant cycle (This could mean waiting as much as a year to reapply)

However, there are a few grants (most of them at the state level) that are awarded constantly. These grants tend to be for very specific things. Things like the arts, music, educational activities etc. So if you qualify for this type of grant, the process is very short.

So, it all depends on how quickly you need the money and of course, how much money you have now. If you are having an emergency (fired, injured, unemployed etc.) then look at entitlements first. You can get help almost immediately.

If you are looking long term and have the day-to-day expenses covered, then look to a grant or loan.

Next I will tell you about entitlements and where to find which ones may apply to your situation. You will find resources to research the entitlement programs, both on a Federal and state level. You will also find out how to tell if you qualify for these entitlements.

So, let’s proceed to entitlements and determine which ones best fit your situation...