My sister and I are enrolling in college does anyone know of any grants or scholarships for orphaned children?

Question:

both our parents died in 2002. We both have our GED. I am 25 and my sister is 19. when my mother died I was only 20 and accepted the challenge or raising my siblings. does anyone know if there are any programs or grants out there for kids like us who do not have mommy or daddy to help us better our education??

Answer:
Well, for yourself, you are probably over the age when there would be state assistance for you in terms of a scholarship for orphans, you younger sister on the other hand, may still qualify. Your state's department of higher education should be able to tell you if they have specific grants for orphans and what must be done to obtain them. You are independent by age for the FAFSA, and, if you are supporting your siblings more than 50% you can claim them as your dependents when you file the FAFSA, although the financial aid office of your college will probably ask you to document that you are providing more than half. If this is the case then your options for eligibility for federal and state aid under the regular process are increased. So file your FAFSA as soon as possible.

If both of your parents are deceased and you did not adopt your siblings, your sister is also independent by reason of being an orphan. She is probably, even if mimimally employed, eligible for a full Federal Pell Grant, in addition to other grants and such that the college may offer. She needs to be prepared to document her status with copies of your parents' death certificates, just so you know and are expecting that request. It is usual practice for the financial aid office to document this status in the first application year.

If I can assist either of you in filing your applications, please e-mail me, but the closest help is your local college's financial aid office or the local Educational Opportunity Center where trained professionals will help you out to apply for college and financial aid.

First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

I know that there are many scholarships and bursaries available for students orphaned. Try looking into state scholarships!

Good luck!

I am sure there are, but at age 25 you are hardly considered an "orphan" now. You are an adult.

Do a google search on scholarships for returning to school and all related searches.

I'd try fastweb.com They have a lot of scholarships on there. Not just for that, but for a whole bunch of stuff.

My sister and I are enrolling in college does anyone know of any grants or scholarships for orphaned children?

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