The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is designed by the federal government to enable students--including graduate students--to apply for federal aid. When applying for federal aid, the student is automatically entered to receive state aid, according Finaid.org. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid also allows students to request grants, which are free funds that do not have to be paid back to the donor, whether they come from the government or the institution itself. One graduate loan the FAFSA provides is the Federal Graduate/Professional PLUS Loan.
According to CollegeScholarships.org, many educational institutions provide their graduate students with grants, either merit or financial-need based. It is a good idea to ask for one, according to US News and World Report's website. Discuss the possibility of receiving a grant from your university or college. Speak with the financial aid or student accounts department about graduate funds or grants. Ask whether they offer grants based on excellent academic achievement or based on financial need. Depending on your program of study or major, the department might offer student grants based on academic merit or financial merit specifically for graduate students continuing their education. The College Scholarships website also suggests asking your university's fraternity and sorority organizations for grants based on your graduate status.
Check various websites that list scholarships and grants--free money--for graduate students. When registering on the sites, a student can check off what state he lives in or what state he's attending school in. This allows the site to sort potential scholarship and grant possibilities by state along with other criteria. The student can also enter his program of study, ethnicity and interests. This helps the site find relevant scholarship and grant options. Visit websites like Scholarships.com, Fastweb.com and the government's grant site, Grants.gov.