A persistent online myth is that "the U.S. government has billions of dollars in unclaimed individual grants" available to anyone who fills out the right form. That is not how federal grant funding works. Federal grants overwhelmingly go to organizations — states, universities, hospitals, non-profits, and school districts — that then deliver services to individuals.
There is, however, a real and important set of federal programs that do award funds directly to individuals. This page lists each one, with eligibility, typical dollar amounts, and where to apply.
Education grants for individuals
These are the largest federal direct-to-individual grant programs by participant count.
Pell Grant
- Who: Undergraduate students with financial need.
- How much: Up to $7,580 per year for the 2026–27 academic year (confirm current cap at studentaid.gov/pell).
- How: File the FAFSA.
- See: /pell-grant.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Who: Pell-eligible students with the lowest Student Aid Index, at participating schools.
- How much: $100–$4,000 per year.
- How: FAFSA; awarded by your school's financial aid office.
- See Federal Student Aid — FSEOG for current rules.
TEACH Grant
- Who: Students preparing to teach in a high-need field at a school serving low-income students.
- How much: Up to $4,000 per year.
- How: FAFSA + TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve.
- Catch: Converts to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan if you do not complete four years of qualifying teaching within eight years of program completion.
- See Federal Student Aid — TEACH Grant for current rules.
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- Who: Students whose parent or guardian died as a result of U.S. military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and who don't qualify for a Pell Grant only because of their Student Aid Index.
- How much: The maximum Pell Grant amount for that year.
VA grants for individuals
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant
- Who: Veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities (loss of use of two or more limbs, certain severe burns, blindness, etc.).
- How much: Up to roughly $117,000 in 2026 (statutory annual adjustment — confirm at VA disability housing grants).
- Use: Buy, build, or modify a home for accessibility.
Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant
- Who: Veterans with specific qualifying conditions (blindness, loss of use of both hands, certain respiratory or burn conditions).
- How much: Up to roughly $23,000 in 2026 (statutory annual adjustment).
Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grant
- For SAH/SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily with a family member.
VA Education Benefits (Post-9/11 GI Bill, DEA, Fry Scholarship)
While typically described as benefits rather than grants, these pay individuals directly for education costs. See /military-grants.
USDA grants for individuals
Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants
- Who: Very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas. Grants are restricted to homeowners age 62 and over.
- How much: Up to $10,000 lifetime in grants (plus up to $40,000 in low-interest loans).
- Use: Remove health and safety hazards from the home.
- Apply: Through your state USDA Rural Development office.
Disaster assistance for individuals
FEMA Individuals and Households Program (IHP)
- Who: Households impacted by a federally declared disaster in the declared area.
- How much: Annual maximum amounts are set each fiscal year; confirm current caps at DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Use: Temporary housing, home repair (essential to make the home livable), personal-property replacement, medical/dental, child care, moving and storage.
- Apply: At disasterassistance.gov once a disaster is declared.
Fellowships and individual research awards
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) fellowships
- Individual research stipends for scholars, teachers, and writers. See neh.gov/grants.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) — Creative Writing Fellowships
- Individual fellowships for published creative writers (prose and poetry, alternating years). See arts.gov/grants/creative-writing-fellowships.
Fulbright Program
- The federal Fulbright Program funds individual U.S. students, scholars, teachers, and professionals for international study, research, and teaching. See /fulbright-foundation-grants.
NIH and NSF graduate/postdoctoral fellowships
- Individual research training awards (e.g., NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, NIH F31/F32) for graduate students and postdocs at qualifying institutions.
What is NOT a federal individual grant
The following are commonly mis-categorized as "individual grants":
- SNAP / TANF / SSI / Medicaid / Section 8 — federal entitlement benefits, not competitive grants.
- Earned Income Tax Credit / Child Tax Credit — federal tax credits, claimed via tax return.
- Student loans (Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized, PLUS, Grad PLUS) — loans that must be repaid.
- PPP and EIDL (2020–21) — pandemic-era programs no longer accepting new applications.
- "$25,000 personal grants" advertised on social media — not a real federal program.
For state-administered assistance benefits, see /personal-grants.
How to find what you qualify for
- Benefits.gov — the federal eligibility checker. Answer the questions and it returns a list of programs you may qualify for.
- StudentAid.gov — for education grants.
- VA.gov — for veteran and survivor benefits and grants.
- Grants.gov — search "individual" in eligibility for direct-to-individual federal opportunities (a small subset of total opportunities).
- DisasterAssistance.gov — after a federally declared disaster.
There is no application fee for any legitimate federal grant. Anyone charging a fee to "facilitate" or "match" you with federal grants is reselling publicly available information.
Common questions
Are these grants taxable?
- Federal student aid used for qualified tuition, required fees, books, and required equipment is generally not taxable.
- VA disability and SAH/SHA grants are generally not taxable.
- FEMA IHP disaster assistance is generally not taxable.
- USDA Section 504 grants are generally not taxable when used for required repairs.
- Consult IRS guidance or a tax professional for your specific situation. See IRS Tax Topic 421 for scholarship rules.
Can I receive more than one of these grants? Yes — a low-income veteran who is also a college student could qualify for the Pell Grant, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and, if eligible, the SAH grant. Each is independently determined.
Do I have to repay these grants? No, with one important exception: the TEACH Grant converts to a loan if you do not complete the teaching service obligation. All other programs listed are non-repayable when used as authorized.
What about the "billions of unclaimed grants" claim? There is no large pool of unclaimed federal grant funds available to random individuals. Federal grant funds are appropriated by Congress, allocated to programs with strict eligibility, and either awarded or returned to Treasury — not warehoused for casual claim.