Federal Benefits - U.S. Department of Education
Following are U.S. federal benefits programs that are managed by the Department of Education for which you may be eligible. Click on a link to find eligibility criteria and detailed program information. Clicking on a link will open a new browser window. Since the govbenefits.gov website changes frequently, you may have to search specifically for the program you are interested in.
Adult Education State Grant Program
This grant program creates a partnership among the federal government, states, and localities to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education and literacy services. Its purpose is to assist adults in becoming literate and in obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency. It aims to assist adults, who are parents, to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children as well as in the completion of a secondary school education.
Advanced Placement Program
This program awards grants to states to support state and local efforts to increase access to advance placement classes and tests for low-income students.
Assistance for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
Early intervention services are available at no cost for eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth to 3 years of age) and their families. Families of infants and toddlers who meet their state's eligibility requirements will receive a comprehensive evaluation and assessment and be assigned a service coordinator who will assist them. An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) will also be developed outlining the child's needs up to age 3.
Assistive Technology Program
This program provides grants to states to support capacity building and advocacy activities for statewide consumer responsive programs targeted towards individuals of all ages with disabilities.
Byrd Honors Scholarships
This program provides scholarships to support postsecondary education to outstanding high school seniors who show promise of continued academic achievement in an effort to recognize and promote student excellence and achievement.
Centers for Independent Living for Individuals with Disabilities
Independent living services available for persons with disabilities, aim to integrate these individuals into the mainstream American society by reaching them through local Centers for Independent Living. Some of the services provided by the Centers include: information and referral; independent living skills training; peer counseling; individual and systems advocacy; community planning and decision making; school based peer counseling, role modeling, and skills training; seeking employment opportunities; interacting with local, State and Federal legislators; and staging recreational events that integrate individuals with disabilities with their non-disabled peers.
Child Care Access
This program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.
Child Care Provider Loan Forgiveness Demonstration
This program brings more highly trained individuals into the early childcare profession and retains those providers for longer periods of time.
Early Childhood Educator Professional Development
This program provides high-quality professional development to improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators who work in urban or rural high-poverty communities, and who serve primarily children from low-income families. This professional development must primarily provide training that will improve early childhood teaching strategy and will further children's language and literacy skills to prevent them from encountering reading difficulties when they enter school.
Education for Homeless Children and Youth
This program ensures that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as other children. It also provides activities for and services to ensure that these children enroll in, attend, and achieve success in school. The program is designed to establish or designate an office in each state educational agency for the coordination of education for homeless children and youth as well as to develop and implement programs for school personnel to heighten awareness of specific problems for homeless children and youth. These offices also provide grants to local educational agencies.
Even Start: Migrant Education
This program improves the educational opportunities of migrant families through family literacy programs that integrate early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic education, and parenting education.
Even Start: Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations
This program exists to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy. Specifically, they improve the educational opportunities of low-income families through family literacy programs that integrate early childhood education, adult basic education, and parenting education.
Federal Direct Student Loans
This loan program provides loan capital directly from the Federal government (rather than through private lenders) to vocational, undergraduate, and graduate postsecondary school students and their parents.
Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
Federal PLUS loans enable eligible parents to borrow to pay the educational expenses of dependent undergraduate children who are enrolled in school at least half time. PLUS loans are not need based and the borrower is responsible for accrued interest throughout the life of the loan.
Federal Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants help financially needy undergraduate students, who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree, meet the cost of postsecondary education. (In limited cases a Pell Grant may be awarded for attending a post-baccalaureate teacher certificate program.)
Federal Perkins Loans
A Federal Perkins Loan is a low-interest (5 percent) loan for both undergraduate and graduate students with financial need. The school is the lender. The loan is made with government funds with a share contributed by the school. Students repay this loan to the school. Depending on when the student applies, level of need and funding level of the school, a student may borrow up to $4,000 for each year of undergraduate study up to a total of $20,000, $6,000 for each year of graduate or professional study to a total of $40,000, including Perkins loans borrowed as an undergraduate.
Federal Student Consolidation Loans
A consolidation loan is designed to help student and parent borrowers simplify loan repayments by allowing the borrower to combine several types of eligible federal student loans with various repayment schedules into a single loan. A Consolidation Loan simplifies the repayment process by allowing the borrowing to make just one payment each month. The interest rate on a Consolidation Loan is the weighted average of the loans being consolidated.
Federal Subsidized Student Loans (Stafford)
Subsidized Stafford Loans are awarded to students on the basis of financial need. The borrower pays no interest while in school and during other authorized periods. Stafford Loans are variable interest loans and are generally repaid over a period of no more than 10 years.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
These grants help meet the cost of postsecondary education for undergraduates with exceptional financial need (that is, students with the lowest expected family contribution) and gives priority to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. The award is made by the school based on the availability of funds. A federal grant does not have to be paid back.
Federal Unsubsidized Student Loans (Stafford)
These loans are not need based. The borrower is responsible for accrued interest throughout the life of the loan. Stafford Loans are variable interest loans and are generally repaid over a period of no more than 10 years.
Federal Work-Study
This program funds jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay postsecondary education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's course of study. The total award depends on when the student applies, level of need, and funding level of the school.
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need
This program provides fellowships through graduate academic departments, programs, and units of institutions of higher education to graduate students of superior ability who demonstrate financial need for the purpose of sustaining and enhancing the capacity for teaching and research in academic areas of national need, as designated by the Secretary.
Grants to States for Incarcerated Youth Offenders
This program assists incarcerated youth offenders in obtaining postsecondary education and postsecondary vocational training.
Independent Living Services for Older, Blind Individuals
This program aims to support individuals aged 55 or older, whose recent visual impairment makes competitive employment extremely difficult to obtain, but for whom independent living goals are feasible. The goal of this program is to assist such persons to correct blindness or visual impairment, or help them adjust to their blindness by increasing their ability to care for their individual needs. Services offered include visual screening, therapeutic treatment, outreach, eyeglasses, other vision aids, guide services, transportation, orientation and mobility services, reader services, Braille instruction, information and referral peer counseling, adaptive skills training and other appropriate services designed to assist an older individual who is blind in coping with daily living activities.
Independent Living State Grants for Individuals with Disabilities
The purpose of this program is to maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence and productivity of individuals with disabilities and to integrate these individuals into the mainstream of American society.
International Research and Studies
This program improves foreign language, area, and other international studies training through support of research, studies, experimentation, development of specialized instructional materials, and the publication of specialized materials developed as a result of research conducted under this program.
International: Overseas Group Projects Abroad
This program contributes to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States by providing opportunities for teachers, faculty, and upperclassmen and/or graduate students to study, travel, and research in foreign countries.
Javits Fellowships
These fellowships are awarded to graduate students pursuing the study of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Individuals are selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise. Recipients receive a stipend for full time study or research.
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Grant Program
This grant program provides financial assistance to state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and private agencies and organizations, to stimulate research, development, training, and similar activities designed to build a nationwide capability in elementary and secondary schools to meet the special educational needs of gifted and talented students. The grant will be used to supplement the use of state and local funds for the education of gifted and talented students.
Literacy Programs for Prisoners
This program provides financial assistance for establishing and operating programs designed to reduce recidivism through the development and improvement of life skills necessary for reintegration of adult prisoners into society. The program supports the development of communication, job, financial, and interpersonal skills. Other life skills projects include self and family relationship development and stress and anger management.
Migrant Education College Assistance Program
This program assists students who are engaged, or whose parents are engaged in migrant and other seasonal farm work, and are enrolled or are admitted for enrollment on a full-time basis in the first academic year at an institution of higher education.
Migrant Education Coordination Program
This program encourages interstate and intrastate coordination of migrant education including consortium arrangements to reduce the administrative costs of state educational agencies receiving Title I Migrant Education Program funds.
Migrant Education High School Equivalency Program Research
This program assists students who are engaged, or whose parents are engaged, in migrant and other seasonal farm work to obtain the equivalent of a secondary school diploma. This schooling can subsequently help them gain employment or be placed in an institution of higher education or other postsecondary education or training.
Native American Vocational and Technical Education Program (NAVTEP)
This program, formerly known as the Indian Vocational Education Program, provides grants to projects that improve vocational and technical education that benefits American Indians and Alaska Natives. NAVTEP gives special consideration to exemplary approaches that involve, coordinate with, and encourage Tribal Economic Development Plans, as well as applications from tribally controlled community colleges.
Native Hawaiian Vocational Education
This program makes grants to organizations primarily serving and representing Native Hawaiians for programs or portions of programs authorized by, and consistent with, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.
Occupational and Employment Information State Grants
This program promotes improved career and education decision making by individuals. The program also provides support for career guidance and academic counseling programs, information and planning resources to relevant stakeholders that relate educational preparation to career goals and expectations, as well as professional development and other resources to teachers, administrators, and counselors to enable them to assist students and parents with career exploration, educational opportunities, and education financing.
Overseas Doctoral Dissertation
This program provides opportunities for graduate students to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad in modern foreign language and area studies with the exception of Western Europe. This program is designed to develop research knowledge and capability in world areas not widely included in American curricula.
Parental Assistance Centers
This program provides grants to nonprofit organizations and nonprofit organizations in consortia with Local Education Authorities (LEA) to establish school-linked or school-based parental information and resource centers. These centers provide comprehensive training, information and support to parents of children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools as well as to parents of children from birth through age five. Individuals who work with parents, State Education Authorities (SEA), LEAs, schools, and organizations that support family-school partnerships may also participate in PIRC funded services.
Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights
This program provides grants for states to support systems for protection and advocacy for the rights of individuals with disabilities who are ineligible for services from the Protection and Advocacy for Developmental Disabilities (PADD) program and the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program, or whose problems fall outside the scope of services available from the Client Assistance Program (CAP).
Rehabilitation Services American Indians with Disabilities
This program provides vocational rehabilitation services to American Indians with disabilities who reside on Federal or State reservations in order to prepare them for suitable employment.
Rehabilitation Services Client Assistance Program
This program provides assistance in informing and advising clients and client applicants of available benefits under the Rehabilitation Act. It also assists and advocates for clients and client applicants in their relationships with projects, programs and services provided under this Act, including assistance and advocacy in pursuing legal, administrative and other appropriate remedies.
Special Education (ages 3-21)
Free, public special education is available in all states for children and youth with disabilities. Services are provided through the state's public school system.
Special Education Parent Information Centers
This program ensures that children with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities receive training and information on their rights and protections under the IDEA, and can effectively participate in planning and decision making related to early intervention, special education, and transitional services, including the development of the Individualized Education Programs.
Special Education Preschool Grants
This grant program provides grants to states to assist them in providing a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities ages 3 through 5 years, and at a state's discretion, to 2-year-old children with disabilities who will reach age three during the school year.
Supported Employment Services for Individuals with Severe Disabilities
This program provide grants for time limited services leading to supported employment for individuals with the most significant disabilities. This can enable such individuals to achieve the employment outcome of supported employment.
TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers
This program provides information on financial and academic assistance available for qualified adults desiring to pursue a program of postsecondary education. It also assists them in applying for admission to institutions of postsecondary education.
TRIO McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement
This program provides grants for institutions of higher education to prepare low-income, first-generation college students and students underrepresented in graduate education for graduate study.
TRIO Talent Search
This program identifies disadvantaged youths with potential for postsecondary education. It aims to encourage them in continuing in and graduating from secondary school and in enrolling in programs of postsecondary education.
TRIO Upward Bound
This program helps to generate skills and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high school among low-income and potential first-generation college students and veterans. The goal of the program is to increase the academic performance and motivation levels of eligible enrollees so that such persons may complete secondary school and successfully pursue postsecondary educational programs.
TRIO: Student Support Services
This program provides support services to low-income students, first generation college students, and disabled students enrolled in post-secondary education programs. Eligible students may receive (among other services) personal and academic career counseling, career guidance, instruction, mentoring, and tutoring. A goal of the program is to increase student transfer rates from two-year to four-year institutions, as well as to facilitate entrance into graduate and professional programs.
Vocational Education Basic Grants to States
This program provides basic grants that assist states and outlying areas to expand and improve their programs of vocational education and provide equal access in vocational education to special needs populations. The populations assisted by Basic Grants range from secondary students in pre-vocational courses through adults who need retraining to adapt to changing technological and labor market conditions.
Vocational Rehabilitation for Individuals with Disabilities
Vocational rehabilitation services are available for persons who are unable to prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment due to a mental or physical disability, but wish to pursue meaningful careers. VR assists such individuals in securing employment corresponding to their abilities through local job searches and awareness of self-employment and telecommuting opportunities. Services vary by state but may include: vocational evaluation, medical assistance, psychological and psychiatric intervention, counseling and guidance, personal and work adjustment, job training and placement, interpreter and reader services, transition services for students with disabilities, rehabilitation technology services and devices, and supported employment.
Women's Educational Equity Act Program
This program promotes gender equity in education as well as promotes equity in education for women and girls who suffer from multiple forms of discrimination based on sex and race, ethnic origin, limited English proficiency, disability or age. The program also provides financial assistance to enable educational agencies to meet the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
