Grants & Scholarships for new US Permanent Resident Green Card Holders

[Gregory&Dyn 113]

Hello everybody 

 

I arrived in the US in late 2016 on a K1 Visa. I am now a permanent resident Green Card holder, and I would like to attend classes to get a certification. I don't qualify for the Federal Pell Grant because of my husband's income, but I am qualified for student loans. Ugh!

 

Are there any grants or scholarships exclusive to Green Card holders or Citizens of the Philippines currently residing in the U.S.?

[Ontarkie 14,467]

~~Moved to Moving Here and Your New Life, from General Immigration Discussion~~

 

Mod hat off

My older three boys did not find any scholarships that were specifically for permanent resident. They did see some that were for only USC. As long as they don't say anything for USC only you should be able to find some to apply too.

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

One thing to look into on funding education is the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Go to IRS.gov for a full explanation.

 

In brief, if you are taking education classes that result in a certification you can apply the full costs of these classes including books and other equipment (e.g. nursing scrubs) that you are required to purchase for the class, up to $2,500 per year. The credit can be used for 4 years.

 

Note: tax credits come directly off of taxes owed. What this means is a full reimbursement for your education expenses, assuming that they are $2,500 or less.

 

Of course, $2,500 doesn't get you too far in most education institutions, but if you're doing a certification program at a community college, as my wife did, it does fit for the budget conscious student. When I first discovered this I thought it was too good to be true. But it was indeed true. We file as married filing jointly so the $2,500 came right off the top of the taxes paid by our joint income. And also note, if your education is expensive, e.g. $10k per year, you're still saving 25% of the cost with this credit.

 

By the way, the AOTC applies to USC's and LPR's. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

 

Good luck!

Edited December 21, 2018 by Russ&Caro