Trade school can open doors to rewarding, hands-on careers, but figuring out how to pay for it can feel overwhelming. If you’re worried about tuition costs, you’re not alone. Many students face the same challenge, wondering if they can find financial aid for trade schools, how to apply for scholarships, or whether grants are even an option.
The good news? There are plenty of financial aid opportunities available to make your trade school education more affordable. From federal and state grants to industry-specific scholarships and low-interest student loans, there are ways to ease the financial burden.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different types of financial aid available for trade schools, explain how to apply, and share insider tips to maximize your funding.
Can FAFSA Be Used For Trade School?
Yes, FAFSA can be used for vocational and trade school education.
FAFSA (which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is usually more common among college students, but FAFSA can also be used for some trade schools.
Not all vocational schools are part of the FAFASA program. You will need to verify with the school you are most interested in to verify their participation.
Schools that are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges are typical participating schools. Once you find out that the school does participate, then you can begin the application process.
Some of the additional financial opportunities below do require the submission of a FAFSA application.
Trade School Financial Aid Options
Before you consider attending a trade school, you should know the trade school requirements including the costs to attend. It is important to speak to a financial counselor at the school who can help you confirm which options or opportunities might be available to you to offset the financial responsibility.
Obtaining financial aid for trade school is not as straightforward as it is for college, but you have options.
Federal Student Loans
A federal student loan is a loan the federal government issues to students who are in financial need. If you take out a federal student loan to cover your trade school costs, you have to pay it back with interest.
Two types of federal student loans are available:
Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans. To qualify for the former, you have to demonstrate financial need, but the interest rate is relatively low. Direct Unsubsidized Loans’ interest rates are higher, but you don’t have to demonstrate financial need to qualify.
The federal government offers student loans at fixed interest rates for the loan’s life, and you can opt for an income-driven repayment plan. With this plan, a set percentage of your income will go towards repaying your student loan. The repayment period for a federal student loan starts six months after graduation.
To apply for a federal student loan, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, providing your financial and federal tax information.
Private Student Loans
A private student loan is a loan from a lender, such as a credit union or bank. The application process for a private student loan depends on the lender’s policy, but most institutions allow applicants to apply online.
Private student loans do not fall under federal financial aid, and you don’t have to complete a FAFSA form to apply. However, you should only apply for a private loan if you know how much you need to borrow to cover your education expenses.
Generally, private student loans don’t offer the same benefits as federal student loans. For example, the interest rates of private loans are higher than those of federal loans. The repayment period for private loans typically also starts immediately after graduation with no six-month grace period.
On the upside, a private loan allows you to cover a wide range of costs in addition to tuition fees, including accommodation, books, and living expenses.
Federal Grants
A federal grant is a gift aid from the federal government, and it differs from a student loan in that you don’t have to repay the funds. To apply for a federal grant, you have to complete and submit a FAFSA form and provide your and your parents’ financial and tax information.
Various types of federal grants are available as financial aid for trade schools. Federal Pell Grants have a maximum amount of $6,195 and cover up to six academic tears of funding. According to the federal government, this grant is available to students in exceptional financial need who take part in programs leading to undergraduate qualifications.
A Federal Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant is financial aid available to students whose parents or guardians died due to military service in Iraq or Afghanistan. If you didn’t qualify for the Federal Pell Grant because of your expected family contribution but meet the remaining eligibility requirements, you can apply for this grant.
FSEOG Program
The Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program is a type of federal grant available to students who have the lowest expected family contributions to finance post-secondary expenses. The FSEOG program is also available if you are a Federal Pell Grant recipient.
To apply for an FSEOG grant, you have to file a FAFSA form to demonstrate your financial need. The trade school where you plan on enrolling must be a participating post-secondary institution. A participating institution applies annually for FSEOG allocation by submitting a Fiscal Operations Report and application to the U.S. Department of Education.
Trade School Scholarships
A scholarship is a money-based award you can use to pay education-related expenses, it is basically free money for trade school. Trade schools and professional associations in your career field can base this award on academic performance, talent, or merit. An institution may also award a scholarship to students in financial need or who meet specific career goals.
Scholarships do not need to be paid back! This makes them much more competitive to receive as the applicant pool is usually very large.
Whether you can qualify for a scholarship depends on the specific program, and scholarships are not only available through trade schools. You can also research other sources, such as foundations, non-profit organizations, and private businesses.
The Blue Collar Brain scholarship is an annual scholarship just for trade school students, so you can apply for that. There is also a list of other vocational scholarships on Scholarships.com.
Federal Parent Loans
If you are applying to trade school, your biological, adoptive, or stepparents can apply for a Direct PLUS Loan. This federal loan from the U.S. Department of Education covers expenses that other forms of financial aid don’t.
Parents have to repay the federal parent loan at an interest rate that stays fixed for the life of the loan. In 2020, the interest rate for the Direct PLUS Loan was 7.08%. Other costs, such as loan fees, may apply as well.
To qualify for a Direct PLUS Loan, your parents will need a good credit history. However, it may be possible to apply with a poor credit history if the applicant can provide documentation proving extenuating circumstances. All applicants must complete and submit a FAFSA form and meet federal student aid general eligibility requirements to succeed in their application.
Tuition Reimbursement Incentive Programs
Employing companies often offer Tuition Reimbursement Incentive Programs (TRIP) as part of their benefits packages. Employers provide these benefits to attract and retain talented employees and develop their skills. Tuition reimbursement is also a tax-deductible expense.
Tuition reimbursement incentive programs vary from company to company. In most cases, employees have to pay their tuition fees upfront. Upon completing a semester or graduation, the employer would refund a portion or the full amount of the costs.
The financial aid you receive as part of a TRIP may only cover your tuition fees. Alternately, the company can make the funds available to cover additional expenses, including textbooks, travel, or internet fees.
Employers may limit their tuition reimbursement programs to specific subjects or trade schools. When applying for jobs, pay attention to the terms of employers’ tuition reimbursement incentive programs to ensure that you receive funding for training that aligns with your career goals.
If you take part in a tuition reimbursement program, you may have to remain with the company for a predetermined time following graduation. Employers insert this clause to ensure that they don’t pay for training that benefits their competition.
Join The Military
Maybe you never gave this a thought, but when you serve our country, there are often opportunities for you to attend a vocational school that can cover a part or even all of your tuition.
You can opt to join AmeriCorps, US service academies, ROTC, or the GI Bill. Each has its own unique opportunities to assist you with secondary education.
