Attending school may seem like impossibility for the working mother. Balancing taking care of the kids, cooking and cleaning, while studying and holding down a job, may seem out of reach. Then there’s the cost of running a house and paying for college. Just the thought is exhausting. But moms are making it work, going back to school to improve their family’s quality of life. All of this is being made possible by single mother’s grants.
Online college is one of the things making this possible. Working women can gain a degree or certification without sacrificing family time or a current job. Imagine doing your homework while the kids do their own. One mom points out that both mom and kids sitting down, doing homework together, makes the mom a role model for her children. If you need more information about grants for single mothers, look on the internet and gather some facts.
Almost three times as many women as men are enrolling in college according to the Department of Education. One online school reports nearly half of its 48,000 students are moms. Those numbers are encouraging many organizations to find ways to help working women afford their education. Some schools even have their own financial aid programs for single mothers. There are also grants through federal and state governments and private institutions.
Filling out a FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) will help you qualify for financial aid. These forms are available online and are used by all private and public schools to determine which students get financial aid. There are grants, loans and work study programs available. Some federal grants, like Pell and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, are based on financial need. The Academic Competitive grants are merit based and the National SMART grant is for students pursuing a particular subject, like engineering or a science.
Your state is another place to look for college grants. For example New York awards up to $5,000 to eligible residents. You state’s government website should have a list of what’s available. Each state has its own requirements and application process.
If you work, ask your employer about tuition reimbursement programs. Some companies will pay your college tuition, especially if the courses will make you a more valuable employee. Online college may also be a selling point to your employer, since you can study on your time instead taking time off work for school. Also check to see if your company takes part in the corporate connection program. It’s a partnership with organizations and businesses that offers participants a 10% tuition discount for their employees. There is an abundance of information about scholarships for single mothers that can guide your decisions.
There are websites that will help you search for financial aid or scholarships. Your online college may also offer its own scholarship program. Scholarships for online students may be based on academics, community service, and work experience and essay skills.
Moms are always interested in what’s best for their families. And for some that means getting a college degree with the aid of grants for single moms. Government agencies and the colleges themselves are working to make this balancing act more affordable, often via such provisions as single mother grants