Finding Single Parent College Grants and Scholarships

Those who have the responsibility of raising their children on their own have very busy lives and because of this they often find it difficult to go back to school. Not to mention that the costs of raising children is so expensive that it can be impossible to afford an education. According to Raise the Nation, roughly 38% of all single mothers live in poverty, making returning to school an impossible feat. However, having a bachelor’s degree gives them a much greater chance of doing better in life. There are many single parent college grants and scholarships that can make the dream of returning to school a reality.

If you find yourself wanting to return to school, but know you can’t afford it, then it is time to start doing a little research to see if you qualify for any of the many single parent college grants and scholarships which have been designed to help people just like you go back to school. This is the best way to secure a financially sound future for you and your children and you will be setting an excellent example for them as well. The following are a few of the better college grants for single parents that you may want to apply for.

One of the better known college grants for single parents is The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program which was founded in 1978. Since then it has helped over 500 women go back to school by providing them with much needed scholarship funds. If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, forms are available between November and February of each year. Although the fund is targeted to single women who are at least 35 years of age, many single parents fit this criteria.

The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund is an excellent place to start if you happen to live in the state of Arkansas. Most counties in the state participate in this program and it is one of the better single parent college grants available if you qualify.

Another foundation that offers grants for single parents is Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation for Low-Income Women and Children which was formed in 2003. The organization specializes in providing access to education, support, and opportunities for women, especially mothers, who come from low income households.

The R.O.S.E. scholarship is another route to take that was established for women who come from a background of domestic abuse to help them improve their lives. This fund is provided mostly to women who live in the New England area of the United States and to qualify you typically must have completed at least one year of undergraduate studies already. These are just a few examples of the many single parent college grants available that can help you realize your dream of getting your degree.

Author: Pieter West
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What Steps to Take When Seeking Single Parent School Grants

Considering going to college to earn your degree? If so, then you will also have to find a way to pay for it. Thankfully, there are many different single parent school grants available to help.

If you are thinking of taking out a student loan in order to help you pay for college, it is a good idea to first search out some single parent school grants which do not have to be paid back. This article will cover a few of the more popular parent scholarships and grants available to give you a better idea of the options you have for paying for your college degree.

The first of the many single parent school grants that we will be taking a look at in this article is probably the most well known program available for paying for secondary education, the Federal Pell Grant. These are typically awarded to those who are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree or in some cases a graduate degree if you are pursuing a degree in teaching. This Pell grant is considered to be the foundation of all other single parent grants for school. The maximum amount you stand to earn from this program increase each year, but generally you can expect to receive as much as $4,731 (taken from the 2008-2009 academic year).

Another of the many single parent school grants available is the TEACH Grant which was first introduced by congress very recently in 2007. This is a program that offers to pay up to $4,000 a year to those who are interested in pursuing a degree in teaching in public or private schools for low income families. If you think this is the program for you, simply contact the financial aid office at your college and they will provide you with some more information on how to see if you qualify.

One of the lesser known single parent grants for school is what is known as the Federal Supplement Educational Opportunity Grant or FSEOG for short. This program was developed for people with a major need for financial help, such as those with the lowest expected financial contribution. From this program you can expect to receive anywhere from $100 to $4,000 a year depending on a number of factors such as the date you apply, how much you need, how much funding your college receives, and other policies peculiar to your college’s financial aid office.

The last of the single parent school grants we will look at is the Academic Competitiveness Grant which is offered to first or second year college students depending on the year they graduated from high school. With this grant you stand to receive either $750 or $1,300.

As you can see, there are many options available to you when you are searching for single parent scholarships and grants. The first step you have to take, no matter what program you plan on applying for is to fill out the FAFSA form.

Author: Pieter West
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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