The country provides eligible candidates financial assistance to start or continue any kind of beneficial project. These grants are not subjected to repayment but are expected to be used for the said purpose. They aid in funding ideas and projects involved in public services and those that lead to a better economy. These grants may also be given to non-profit organizations or any charitable trusts. Here is an overview of the different types of grants.

Formula Grant

This is one of the government grants that require you to meet mentioned specifications and to fill out an application. The grants that are controlled and managed by state administering agencies ensure that the marked recipients receive the funds that they need. The method by which these funds are allocated is mostly governed by the rules or congressional appropriations deeds. They also highlight the methods by which the distribution of funds would take place among eligible candidates and the procedure by which the candidate must showcase their eligibility for the grant. The amount that will be awarded as a grant is calculated by using a formula, and the amount to be funded varies as per requirement. The calculation of the grant might also depend on multiple parameters such as census data, the population as well as the violent crimes reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the yearly appropriation offered by Congress. The work that the grant money would be directed towards would also be taken into consideration. For example, helping out juvenile offenders or providing assistance to public safety workings. A few disbursements of this grant are the OJJDP Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Program and the BJA Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

Competitive grants

This type of government grant is popularly known as “discretionary funding,” and the grant is offered directly by the Office of the Justice Program to eligible candidates but on a competitive basis. All applications are subjected to a preliminary review process to determine their completeness and fulfillment of eligibility norms. The applicants who are found eligible are then reviewed and provided scores by a group of subject matter experts. The positive and weak points are determined as per the selection rules present in the manual for grant solicitation. The eligible candidates are chosen strictly on merit and are not predetermined.

Continuation–Renewal Grants

This type of government grant is directed toward current grant recipients, and it provides them the option to extend or prolong existing program funding. The above grant can apply to a single or multiple additional budget period extended grants, which would have otherwise expired. Based on the award program, some of the funding can be limited to existing awardees only, whereas some may ask for an application from both existing awardees and new applicants. It is important to note that continuing applications are given preference for renewal funding grants, so a new applicant may collaborate with an existing awardee to achieve benefits.

Pass-Through-Grants

The government grants scheme also includes the pass-through grants that are issued to a state agency or an institution. The grants are moved to state agencies, parts of local government as well as other eligible groups based on the eligibility criteria laid down by the government. The funding structures give the option to the states to distribute the money as competitive or non-competitive as laid down in the rules and approving legislation of the primary grant. This specifically aids in offering flexibility as well as autonomy over the utilization of the Federal grant funds.

College Grants

This form of grant offered by the government aims to help students who are not able to partially or fully pay their academic expenses at a particular educational institute. Students who avail of these grants don’t need to repay them later. The grants are provided by both federal resources, private organizations, and government entities. The grants can be based on the student’s academic performance, financial need, ethnicity, gender, or their parents’ association. Some of the grants are also given based on certain conditions. For example, there is a grant known as the TEACH grant, which requires that students abide by an agreement to teach at a low-income school for a duration of four years after completing their graduation.

These are some of the different types of government grants available in the country. Ensure that you check the eligibility criteria to determine which one you can apply for.