Pell Grant

• The Pell Grant is the primary federal grant awarded to undergraduates. The grant provides up to $5,550 annually as of 2010, and students may apply each year. Other federal grants may depend upon a student's eligibility for the Pell Grant.
  
  

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

• The Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, or FSEOG, is a college-based program, meaning that participating colleges are awarded a set amount of funds for disbursement. Once the school has depleted its funds for the year, it cannot award any more grants. Not every university participates in the program. Recipients of Pell Grants are given priority for these grants, which can be worth as much as $4,000 annually.
  
  

Academic Competitiveness Grant

• The Academic Competitiveness Grant may be awarded to college freshmen and sophomores who qualify for the Pell Grant. Freshmen must have a high school graduation date of January 1, 2006 or later, while sophomores must have a high school graduation date of January 1, 2005 or later. Students must have completed a high school curriculum that the federal government accepts as "rigorous." The precise program varies by state and the year of graduation, but generally includes four years of English; three years each in mathematics, science and social studies; and two years of foreign language. To be eligible as a sophomore, a student's grade point average at the end of his freshman year can be no lower than 3.0. The grant provides up to $750 for the freshman year and as much as $1,300 for sophomores.
  
  

National SMART Grant

• The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant is offered to college juniors and seniors (and students in the final year of a five-year degree program) who are majoring in a technical field. Physics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, technology and life sciences are among the qualifying programs. Certain foreign languages designated as critical may also qualify. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or above. The SMART Grant can provide as much as $4,000 per year.
  
  

TEACH Grant

• The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is available for students from undergraduate through graduate level who are planning to teach at the elementary or secondary level. Recipients agree to teach at least four years in a critical field at a school serving economically challenged students. If the recipient does not fulfill his commitment, the grant will be converted to a student loan. The grant provides as much as $4,000 annually.
  
  

State Grants

• Individual states have grant programs available for those residing or attending school in the state. The program varies among states. As an example, Oklahoma offers the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) Program. The amount is capped at $1,000 for public universities or vo-tech schools; and $1,300 for students enrolled in private universities or colleges, or 75 percent of the cost of enrollment, whichever is less. California offers the Cal Grants program, which can provide as much as $11,124 annually for students attending qualified colleges, universities, career centers or tech schools in the state.