Where to Get Grants Instead of Loans as a Non-Traditional Student Non-traditional students come from a wide range of backgrounds and situations. Many adult learners return to college after a hiatus-perhaps as a result of financial constraints or a family emergency. Other non-traditional students may be starting college for the first time after deciding to pursue new opportunities in a different field. As the job market becomes more and more competitive, an increasing number of adult learners are returning to college. In 2018, a projected 7.6 million payday loans OR adults aged 25 and older went back to earn their degree. Although there are unique challenges for adult learners, financial aid does not have to be one of them. In addition to student loans, there are also opportunities for grants: scholarship money that does not have to be paid back. Many grant programs do not have age restrictions, which means that non-traditional students are not automatically disqualified. If you’re considering going back to school, know your options and take advantage of all the financial support you can get! FAFSA First Before you look for grants, the most important thing you need to do to figure out your aid options is to fill out the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). Free to submit and easily accessible, this form is the ticket for access to the largest source of financial aid. Most importantly, the FAFSA does not take age into consideration; it’s a tool for traditional and non-traditional college students alike. Types of Grant Programs The federal government allocates funds specifically to help students attend college. Many but not all of these programs are available to non-traditional students, so it’s important to conduct thorough research in order to find programs for which adult learners ples of federally funded grants: Kristina MurrayKristina Murray extensive work experience that varies from programming to PR, I have come to learn that my passion is in digital transformations, digital business development and digital strategy. The analysis of data to improve an online position for any company is what drives me. – Digital Business Development / Strategy – Social networking strategy. – Digital advertising – E-Comercio