Grant Home

Info4every1.com is designed to assist students in obtaining
financial aid opportunities to pursue advanced degrees, continue
education or obtain a certificate of study. We provide an online
resource of scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, internships,
grants, venture capital and incubators. We also provide a great deal
of information and resources necessary to discover local, state and
federal opportunities for funding a business. Info4every1.com
delivers the information and tools required to understand financial aid
and make well-informed choices.

Scholarships
Scholarships come in a variety of forms and do not have to be repaid to
the provider. They are considered to be the most attractive forms of
financial aid. Some scholarships are awarded directly to the student
in the form of a check, while others are written out to the student's
college or university. Clubs and organizations, charitable foundations,
businesses, schools, universities, and government agencies are some of
the different types of providers that issue scholarships.

Scholarships are a missed opportunity for many students. Most
students don't realize there are scholarships available to them that
could finance a significant portion of their education. It takes some
time and energy to find and apply for scholarships, but the hard work
will pay off.

Fellowships
A fellowship is a financial and intellectual reward for personal and
academic achievements as well as the recognition of future potential.
Most fellowships provide financial support for graduate study in the
United States or abroad and during last two years of undergraduate
study. Many students apply for fellowships because they open doors to
many opportunities. Most fellowships are prestigious and highly
competitive.

Assistantships
Assistantships are a type of funding unique to graduate students.
Full-time graduate assistants usually receive a tuition waiver and a
yearly stipend, paid over 10 months. Stipend levels are determined by
each academic unit. In exchange, students usually work 20 hours per
week in the department or unit that awarded their assistantship.
Half-time assistants receive a waiver of half their tuition and usually
work 10 hours per week. Like a scholarship, funding from an
assistantship does not need to be repaid.

At many universities, full-time graduate and doctoral assistants also
receive a remission of the contingent portion of the general fee,
remission of the graduate course fee, and an out-of-state fee waiver.
Half-time assistants pay half fees including the nonresident fee.

Internships
An internship is a partnership between an advanced student or
graduate and an organization that has created a meaningful position,
providing hands-on training and career awareness. An internship is an
opportunity for a student to gain practical work experience that
complements his or her academic experience and therefore should have
clearly defined projects and learning goals. For employers, internships
are an opportunity to complete valuable projects and test-drive
potential employees.

Internships vary in both duration and compensation. While paid
internships attract more applicants, other forms of compensation
include academic credit and stipends.

Grants
Grants are sums of money awarded to finance a particular activity or
facility. Generally, these grant awards do not need to be paid back.
Federal agencies and other organizations sponsor grant programs for
various reasons.

Before developing a grant proposal, it is vitally important to
understand the goals of the particular federal agency or private
organization, and of the grant program itself. Understanding the goals
of a grant program can be accomplished through discussions with the
person listed as an information contact in each grant description.
Through these discussions, an applicant may find that in order for a
particular project to be eligible for funding, the original project
concept may need modification to meet the criteria of the grant
program. In allocating funds, grant makers base their decisions on the
applicant's ability to fit its proposed activities within the grants
interest areas.

Venture Capital
Managed venture capital funds offer seed, start-up and expansion
financing, as well as management buyout financing. Some specialize in
the technology sector, while others take a wider-ranging approach.
Often they are partnerships raising money for investment from
pension funds, banks, insurance companies, affluent private investors
and even other venture capital funds. A typical fund is active in
making new investments for just three to five years and invests in only
20 to 30 companies, anticipating annual returns of 30 to 40 percent
or more and a total return of five to 20 times their original
investment.

Venture Capital Clubs are a great source for the entrepreneur. The
purpose of the Venture Capital Club is to act as a go between for small
businesses seeking funding and venture capitalist. They generally hold
meetings where you can present your ideas to potential investors. You
should first contact the club in your area to find out when their
meetings are and what you need to do to make a presentation. It's a
good idea to attend a meeting or two before making your presentation,
so you can see how it is done, and what works best.

Business Incubators
A small business incubator is a small business development group that
provides the environment, education, methodology and resources to
accelerate business growth. According to the National Business
Incubation Association, incubators reverse the statistic of small
business failures. More than 80% of startup businesses succeed in an
incubator.

Incubators are a new type of educational institution. It teaches only
what the business owner doesn't know or can't do. Since each business
owner and each business is different, the methodology is designed to
teach you what you need to know in the best way that you can learn.

Incubators quick start businesses and have them grow at a rate that is
7 to 22 times faster than businesses started otherwise. Incubators do
this by maintaining an inventory of business experts, consultants,
advisors, procedures, methodologies, state-of-the-art technologies and
total resources that businesses are likely to use in the growth process.

Most incubators have some sort of an entry requirement. Most of the
well-established incubators with a track record of successful
businesses will want to know more about you, your business and your
goals before making any commitment. Be prepared to pay for
incubator screening or qualification processes.

Books on Funding Sources
Books and funding directories are available at your local library.
They may or may not be available in updated additions. Doing the
research may take some work, but your librarian is a most worthy ally.
The list we have compiled will give you a head start. Fund seekers
please remember that no single resource covers every possible funding
opportunity so explore books as well as databases and web sites to
increase your fund opportunities.