Government Grants for Debt Relief

There is a lot of mistaken information going around these days about government debt relief grants. Some people believe that the government will pay to get individuals out of debt. Unfortunately that is not true. However, there may be other ways that the government can help you financially.

Grants

The federal government will not give you money just because you are in debt, but it may be that you will qualify for a grant for other purposes. That would help you out financially.

There are 26 different government grant making agencies. Many of these are set up to make grants for community projects, for example in the arts or community development. Others are research grants, for hospitals or doctors carrying out research into health and disease. However, some grants are available to individuals.

You have to be in certain situations to qualify for these grants. For example, there is disaster prevention and relief which helps people who have lived through disasters such as hurricanes or fires. Other grants may be available for housing or for developing your small business if you have one. You can see the grants available at www.grants.gov

Loans

There is also a government loans program. While this will not get you out of debt, if you qualify you could get a loan at a much better rate of interest than you would pay with most credit cards or commercial loan companies. Again these are usually for specific purposes such as business, housing and education (student loans).

Some of the government loans are administered through banks. So if you are asking your bank about a loan, it is always worth enquiring whether they have any government loans that you might be entitled to. You can find information about these loans at www.govloans.gov

Debt Relief Agencies

There are many debt relief agencies that are nothing to do with the federal or state government but may have a name that makes you think they are a government agency. Be cautious in dealing with any of these. Some of them are reputable agencies but others may be trying to deceive you.

You can be fairly sure that if a website ends in .gov, it is a government website. If it ends in .com or anything else, it is probably not. If you are in doubt, check the terms of the website or ask them.

If an agency charges you a fee for finding you a grant or helping you get out of debt, it is a sign that you are probably just dealing with a commercial debt counselor or debt relief agency. They may be able to help you reduce your debts but they will charge you something for their time. You have to decide if this is likely to save you money overall.

Sometimes a company may advertise that they have 'government debt relief' available. What they will usually offer you is advice on declaring bankruptcy. This process may be regulated by the federal government but it is not a grant. For most people there are better ways of getting out of debt than bankruptcy.

Even if it comes as bad news, it is better to know the truth about the options that are available to you. There is really not such a thing as government debt relief grants.