Scam artists know that people will flock to offers involving free money. That's why consumers need to be careful about contacting companies that claim they can connect them with free information about getting government grants. Those companies usually find some reason to charge people to provide information that consumers can find free of charge online and offline. There are legitimate sources that supply information on grants for free.
Advertising Scams
You may have seen ads that offer to help people find and obtain "free grants" from the government that will pay for everything from learning a new language to starting a business. Grants generally are free by the nature of their terms because they're not loans that have to be paid back to the agencies that issue them. According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, ads offering "free grants" are typically scams. The FTC also says advertisers may use names such as the Federal Grants Administration to make it appear as though they have some official connection with the federal government. However, there is no government agency called the Federal Grants Administration.
Grant Searches
Public libraries have names of local and federal government agencies that award grants available at no cost along with information on the steps to take to get grants. Grants.gov is the official website for all grants offered by federal government agencies (see Resources). The site also includes a tutorial on how to complete an application to obtain a grant. In any case, the FTC states that genuine government agencies don't require consumers to pay processing fees for grants they have already been awarded as some scam artists may claim. Government agencies also don't require consumers to pay for a list of available grants.
Individual Benefits
Government grants often aren't provided directly to individuals. Ads that claim free federal money is available to individuals are often referring to government benefits, not grants. Government benefits help people obtain free job training and other services. The official government benefits website is Benefits.gov (see Resources). Information on the site is available free of charge, and the site helps people determine if they're eligible for benefits and how to apply. Benefits.gov includes a government assistance eligibility tool with questions that people can answer to make it easier for them to find benefits for which they're qualified.
Considerations
Free grant information available online and offline can mislead consumers concerning what it takes to get free money from the government. The grant process can be time-consuming, that is if you even meet all of the qualifications to receive a grant. The agencies that offer grants receive numerous applications. They also require a significant amount of information to verify that applicants qualify for the grants.
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