Financial Aid for School

• College is expensive, but it can help you not only increase your job prospects but also learn important life skills. Financial aid and scholarship programs can help make college more accessible. If you live in New York, you can take advantage of the College and Community Fellowship's program for ex-offenders. Not only does this program offer a small stipend to help cover costs at New York's city university system (CUNY), but it also offers mentoring and support to help ex-cons complete their schooling. Outside of New York, you can use national databases like Fastweb and Scholarships.com to help find appropriate scholarships. Don't apply just for scholarships available only to ex-cons. You should also scout for scholarships that might apply to other areas of your life, such as a good academic history, your income level, your ethnicity or your future goals.
  
  

Financial Aid for Job Hunting

• According to Federal Grants Wire, the One-Stop Career Center, which is funded by a federal grant, is a nationwide system of employment agencies designed to help job seekers assess their skills and find and apply for jobs that they are qualified for. In some states, ex-cons can use these services, which are available to all, in addition to those provided especially for them. For instance, in Wyoming, young offenders can take advantage of a federally funded program that helps them make the transition to society easier through counseling and teaching life skills. Further, ex-cons can take advantage of the HIRE Network, where they can find free resources for job searching, including who they can contact in their areas about work-assistance programs.
  
  

Financial Aid for Drug Counseling

• Although many ex-cons want to get off drugs, some don't have the money to enroll in treatment programs. Some states, however, offer financial aid to offenders so that they can enroll in these programs for free. For instance, the Re-Entry Court in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, offers general counseling and drug counseling programs to ex-cons.
  
  

Financial Aid for Housing

• According to National Public Radio, where ex-cons stay when they are released can largely determine whether they will offend again. For this reason, getting financial aid to find a good home is an important step. Ex-cons can find financial aid for housing through government-subsidized housing, where offenders can live as long as they have not committed a drug crime. You can also seek help through private organizations, such as Goodwill Industries, which offers housing alongside mentoring and job training to ex-cons in New Jersey.