Scholarships for Single Moms

Many single moms struggle to put food on the table with their low wage jobs. Some come to see getting an education as the only way to escape the hourly rate grind. Still, they are already balancing busy lives between work and their kids. Adding the stress of school can seem overwhelming. And, there’s probably no money in the budget to pay for tuition. So the only way these women can go back to work is if they find a single mom scholarship.

First of all, you should know that going back to school makes you a good role model for your children. They will see you coming home and doing homework just like they do. And, it will encourage them to pursue college as a young person before they have all of the obligations of work and family.

Next, you should know that college campuses are not populated exclusively with 19 year olds these days. At many regional state schools (as opposed to the “Flagship” campuses), the average age of students is close to thirty. A woman in her 40s is nothing unusual.

Further, these colleges are making it convenient for single moms to return to school with classes in the evenings and weekends. Many of the for profit colleges are especially flexible when it comes to scheduling course work.

So, now all that is left is finding the money to pay for school. Unfortunately, the financial aid system in America is set up with the young student in mind. For instance, the FAFSA formula assumes that you can spend 1/3 of your income on college related expenses. That’s just not feasible for single moms. Still, it is essential that you fill out the FAFSA on time so that you can qualify for the government programs such as the Pell Grant and the Cal Grant.

But, college financial aid offices are aware of these realities. Many set aside extra grant money just for returning students. Ask about specific institutional scholarships for single moms as well.

Ask your company if they offer tuition reimbursement for employees. If you work for a large company, chances are that they do. Usually your human resources department will have that information.

Finally, you should seek out scholarships that you qualify. When you dig deep, you may find some that are tailor made for you. For instance, if you are over 5′10, you can qualify for a scholarship from the Tall Clubs International.

To find scholarships such as that one, you need to get access to an online nationwide database of scholarships. Fortunately, these are available free. You should never pay for access to scholarship information or pay to apply for scholarships.

Congratulations on going back to school. You are pursuing a better life for yourself and your children. Good luck as you find the money to make your college dreams a reality.

Need money for college? Use FastWeb’s free scholarship search to find information on more than 600,000 scholarships!

To request information on specific colleges go to College Information Online