Does the federal government give grants to individuals?

Almost never. Federal grants go to organizations — nonprofits, universities, state and local governments, tribes, and businesses. A small number of programs do list individuals as an eligible applicant type; this page tracks exactly which ones are open right now, rebuilt every morning from grants.gov.

Is there a government grant to pay rent, bills, or medical costs?

No. Anyone promising you a free government grant for personal expenses — especially for a fee or your bank details — is running a scam. Real help with rent, bills, food, and medical costs comes from benefit programs, not grants. Start at 211.org or USAGov's benefit finder, the successor to Benefits.gov.

Are there government grants for school?

Yes, but they are financial aid, not grants.gov grants. File the FAFSA at studentaid.gov to be considered for Pell Grants and other federal student aid, and use free scholarship searches like CareerOneStop's.

Are there grants for individuals starting a small business?

Federal grants for starting an ordinary business are essentially nonexistent. If your business does R&D, the SBIR/STTR programs (America's Seed Fund) are real federal money for small companies. Otherwise look at private grants like the Amber Grant, HerRise, and IFundWomen for women-owned businesses, and your state economic development office.

Grants for individuals: the honest answer

Federal grants almost never go to individuals. They go to organizations — nonprofits, universities, state and local governments, tribes, and businesses. There is no federal grant for rent, bills, debt, or personal expenses, and anyone who promises you one — especially for a fee, or for your bank details — is running a scam. You can report those at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

The government does put real money in the hands of individuals — through benefit programs, student aid, and a handful of genuine grant programs. This page shows both: the federal grants that actually list individuals as eligible, straight from live data, and where the rest of the money lives.

Federal opportunities currently open to individuals

Out of 1192 open federal grants this morning, 10 officially list individuals as an eligible applicant type.

Last refreshed August 6, 2026 at 6:02 AM ET · straight from grants.gov

One honest warning before the list: agencies fill in eligibility checkboxes loosely. A research announcement that ticks every applicant-type box, including “Individuals,” was not written with individual applicants in mind. That is why the list is split in two — and why you should always read the official notice before spending time on an application. The eligibility fine print overrides any tag, including ours.

Individuals are a named applicant type (2)

Programs whose official eligibility list is short and includes individuals — the closest thing to a real “grant for individuals” the federal government offers.

Opportunity	Agency	Deadline	Award ceiling	Eligible
Africa Regional Services Paris Annual Program Statement: ARS Speaker Program Other	Africa Regional Services	August 31, 2026 25d left	$12k	Individuals
F24AS00298 Cooperative Agriculture Agriculture	Fish and Wildlife Service	March 7, 2029	—	Individuals

“Individuals” appears in a long eligibility list (8)

Mostly research and cooperative-program announcements that tick every applicant-type box. An individual can technically apply; in practice these awards go to institutions.

Opportunity	Agency	Deadline	Award ceiling	Eligible
FY26 Bus Safety, Accessibility, and Innovation Notice of Funding Opportunity Transportation	DOT - Federal Transit Administration	September 28, 2026	$10M	Nonprofits Individuals
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Projects Natural Resources	Bureau of Reclamation	September 29, 2026	$800k	Nonprofits Individuals
FY 2024 – 2026 - Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Environment Science and Technology	DOC NOAA - ERA Production	September 30, 2026	—	Nonprofits Individuals
FY 2024 – 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), National Marine Fisheries Service Environment Natural Resources Science and Technology	DOC NOAA - ERA Production	September 30, 2026	—	Nonprofits Individuals
F26AS00068 Partners for Fish and Wildlife FY26 Natural Resources	Fish and Wildlife Service	September 30, 2026	$750k	Nonprofits Individuals
F26AS00069 Coastal Program FY26 Natural Resources	Fish and Wildlife Service	September 30, 2026	$500k	Nonprofits Individuals
LPS Qubit Collaboratory (LQC) Science and Technology	Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command	April 30, 2027	—	Nonprofits Individuals
2026 Alaska Marine Education and Training Mini-Grant Program Agriculture Business and Commerce Education Environment Food and Nutrition Natural Resources Science and Technology	DOC NOAA - ERA Production	May 1, 2028	$75k	Nonprofits Individuals

Not shown: 8 embassy and consulate public-diplomacy programs abroad (agency names like “U.S. Mission to …”). They carry the Individuals tag, but they are aimed at applicants in the host country and their fine print often narrows or contradicts it.

Where money for individuals actually lives

If you came here looking for help as a person, not an organization, grants are almost never the mechanism. These are:

Personal help: rent, bills, food, medical costs

Benefit programs, not grants. Call 211 or use 211.org to reach local assistance for housing, utilities, and food, and use USAGov’s benefit finder (the successor to Benefits.gov) to see every federal and state program you may qualify for. Both are free and official.

School

File the FAFSA at studentaid.gov — it is the single application behind Pell Grants and most federal student aid. For scholarships, the Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop scholarship search is free and lists thousands without selling your data.

Small business doing R&D

The SBIR and STTR programs — “America’s Seed Fund” — are real federal money for small companies developing new technology, awarded through sbir.gov. Before you apply, see our free SBIR and STTR competition data: Phase I selection rates by agency and Phase I to Phase II conversion rates, computed from public award records.

Women-owned startups

Private, not federal, but real and recurring: the Amber Grant (monthly awards), the HerRise MicroGrant (monthly, for women of color), and IFundWomen’s partner-funded grant marketplace.

Any small business

Your state economic development office runs grant and incentive programs that never appear on grants.gov — search “your state + economic development office,” or find your nearest free advisor through SBA local assistance.

GrantsDue tracks organizations’ federal grants — that is our actual job. This page exists because “is there a grant for me as an individual?” deserves a straight answer with live data behind it, and most of the internet has an incentive to answer it dishonestly.