Serving the government carries more advantage than merely getting a regular salary. The government is a good source of a number of benefits you can use towards a better life. By being employed in a government office, one can expect generous support for his basic needs such as health, food, and shelter. In addition, being employed by the government means that one get assistance for his other needs such as education. This is because being a government employee can be a ticket in obtaining a scholarship grant that a person or his immediate family member can take advantage of to finish a college degree.

Taking Your Knowledge One Notch Higher

If you are currently working in any government agency or institution, you can take advantage of a several scholarship grants intended to advance the knowledge of government workers. These scholarship programs aim to encourage people to pursue college degrees that will help them perform better in their current jobs.

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) is a scholarship program established by the United States' Department of Defense. As such, this scholarship program is open only to US citizens and/or nationals who are serving the federal government. Applicants to the SMART scholarship program must enroll in a course that falls under the following disciplines: Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology. Undergraduate applicants must already be accepted in a university of their choice and must maintain a GPA not lower than 3.0. Graduate students, on the other hand, will need to apply for the program first before they can take advantage of the scholarship fund. Requirements for the SMART scholarship program include transcripts, GRE scores, summary of goals, academic background, and professional experiences.

Using Your Government Employee Status for Your Child’s Education

Government employees are not the only ones who can benefit from scholarship grants. As a matter of fact, a number of government-sponsored scholarship grants can be extended to family members. This type of scholarship program aims to provide financial assistance to the relatives of government employees. If you are a government employee, you can use this program to get your kid through college. This is the government's way of fostering a secured future for the children of its dedicated employees.

The Federal Employee Emergency Assistance (FEEA), for example, is an institution dedicated to helping out qualifying members of a government employee’s family to earn college degrees. This agency doles out scholarship grants that range from $500 to $2,500. Requirements for this scholarship program include a family member’s certification of government service of not less than three years, acceptance from an accredited school, a GPA not lower than 3.0, a character reference, proof of community service, and a completed essay. This financial assistance is awarded on the basis of merit and not on financial need. For this reason, it is important that you display worthiness by keeping an excellent academic record. Aside from the available scholarships for the government employees' families, the FEEA also funds the education of its members.

Aspiring to be a Government Employee?

If you want to take a position in a government agency in the future, there is also a scholarship available just for you. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards grants to deserving high school seniors who display an intention to pursue a career inclined to government services. Although qualifying for it is somewhat difficult, the benefits you get is all worth the effort.

To qualify for this scholarship, you will have to be nominated by your school. Every year, only a number of 60 students become Truman scholars. This goes without saying that competition is very tough. Apart from faculty nomination, you are also required to complete the application form. The screening committee of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation does not only look at the academic performance of the applicants but at how active they are in their respective communities as well. As such, applicants are required to submit a list of community services and activities they have participated in. Only undergraduate students are welcome to become Truman scholarship grant recipients. Those who will make the cut will work for the government for at least three years.

A serious intention to serve the public is one of the strongest foundations of winning a government employee scholarship. The financiers of such type of college aid adhere to the goal of developing valuable individuals that will improve the current ways the various government institutions operate. With all things considered, one can say that being of service to the government indeed has its benefits.