The largest educational federal grant is the Pell Grant. According to U.S. Department of Education, "The Federal Pell Grant program provides financial aid money to students on a need-basis. These grants do not have to be repaid". Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.ed.gov. The maximum awarded amount for a Pell Grant is $5,550 per year and provides college-bound students with assistance with tuition and living expenses. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is another need-based federal program for financially disadvantaged students, which is also applied for by filling out the FAFSA.
Another source for Government-based grants is Grants.gov, which is managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The advanced search function helps children of single parents find specific grants for their requirement and needs. However, Grants.gov does not offer money for personal financial assistance or debt.
The State Higher Education Agency provides information on state education programs, including grants. Programs vary by each state but most provide special grants to children of single parents. For example, New York provides Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and NYS Educational Opportunity Program to financially and academically disadvantaged students.
Raise the Nation awards grants and scholarships to single mothers and their children. The specific program geared toward the children of single parents is the "Child of a Single Parent Woman Scholarship." "This scholarship is designed to reduce the financial burden of paying for college that single parent women face when they still claim their children as dependent on their taxes." Raise the Nation says, "We recognize that dependent children are only offered minimal amounts of financial aid due to the calculation being dependent on their mother's income."
Many schools also offer private grants to financially disadvantaged students, including children of single parents. "Most colleges and universities offer tons of money in need-based grants to students. Without it, many colleges would not have the diversity of the student bodies they enjoy," according to College Scholarship Org. Private grants can be based on many factors, including: course of study, gender, minority and profession.