Funding for College Level Robot Projects?

[Rombus]

Since I’ve started helping out the local FIRST Team, I’ve had this urge to build my own robot. I got a pretty good idea and I think I have enough experience to pull it off. The issue (as always with college students) Is Money.
The KSU SME chapter I’m a member of is currently building 2 off-road buggies, and we are already short on money. There isn’t enough support to start an IEEE chapter at Kent. I Doubt KSU or even the School of Technology at KSU would give me a research grant to do what I want. There’s no way I could float the 2 thousand myself to do it (I’m guessing my plan won’t cost more than 2-4k to do).

So do any other college students out there have suggestions? Are there any "Robotic Scholarships" anyone knows about? I guess if worst comes to worst, I can always make up the plans, and leave it on the back burner till I get to do it, Except Ill be itching to build something to hold me over till next build season

[Andrew Rudolph]

The best way to get the money is find grants from companies or the government. Also ask around to see if there are any professors who have grants, if what you are planning to do falls under thier grant, they may let you have some money. I know here at UCF in the senior design class one of our mentors gets funding through a professors grant.