College Grants for Single Moms

Financial concerns are the biggest barriers for single parents when returning to college. Though it may be daunting to think about paying for college, don’t let it get in the way of pursuing your dream. There are many different avenues for accessing funds for school, and the ones most people are familiar with are grants and loans. Because obtaining grants and loans are complex endeavors, this article will focus exclusively on finding grants. Grants for college students are pots of money that do not have to be repaid when you finish school.
Before you get started looking at and applying for grant funding, you need to know a little about them! Grants come from numerous sources including federal, state, local, and tribal governments, research centers, non-profit organizations, or even private foundations. Federal, state, and local government grants usually fund larger projects such as master’s or doctoral dissertations for research projects. If you’re looking for money to start or finish your undergraduate degree, you might want to look for smaller agencies, non-profit organizations, and private foundations. Another good resource is to go directly to your college/school’s advising office as some programs have small, need or talent-based grants specific to your profession or college.

Grants can be relatively unstructured and require little from the recipient other than to go to class and get good grades or they can require research, publication, or service in order to access the money. Some grants provide money up-front and some require that you pay for your classes, books, and materials and then submit receipts for reimbursement. You may have a credit card or other manner for paying for things up front, but if you can not swing tuition and books for a semester before getting reimbursed, then a reimbursement grant is not for you.

There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ grant funding, there is only grant funding that meets your needs and fits with your own goals. The most important part is that you decide – before spending any time applying for funding – what type of funding you want and what type of commitment you want to have to your funder. You should also ask as many questions as you need to before applying for any funding so you completely understand everything the grant will provide to you and require from you.

So now that you know what type of funding you want to pursue, now to you need to find the funding sources. Many grant opportunities are created for specific groups of people or specific talents, hobbies, or professions. A good place to start is to sit and make a list for yourself of all your talents, hobbies, volunteer work, civic activities, and professional aspirations so you can focus your funding search. A big downfall of many new college students when looking for funding is that they spend too much time searching and not enough time writing the grant. Narrowing your search criteria will make it easier to identify grants that you have a good chance of receiving if you take the time to put together a great proposal.

Next… Writing the grant!

Writing the Grant

Each and every grant you find will have come with a set of instructions for how to apply. These instructions usually include a synopsis of you or your project (depending on what you’re trying to fund), your background as the applicant or a personal statement, letters of reference or support, and a statement of what the money will be used for and why you need it.

The Personal Statement/Background Statement: Many people do not spend enough time on this section and wind up writing what they think the reviewer wants to read. Anyone who has read grant applications will tell you – when the applicant is writing what they think is the “right” answer, their personal statement sections are bland, dry, and poor representations of who they are and what they can accomplish. This is where you show them who you are and why you deserve money. Remember: You are applying for money and just like a job interview you have to prove to them you deserve their funds – write your personal statement accordingly.

The Synopsis of the Project, Career Goals, or Purpose of College: If you’re writing about a specific project, you will need to have a clear idea and plan for your project before you start applying for grants. If you have a half-baked or poorly thought-out idea, your funders will notice this and kick your application to the curb. If you don’t know why exactly you want to go back to school, and that’s what you’re supposed to be writing about, then spend some time reflecting and thinking about why college is important so your statement can be moving and provocative.

Letters of Reference and Support: Many grants require you to submit letters from employers, former professors/teachers, or other community members that indicate you have a support system for getting through college or using the money from the grant effectively. Though this sounds basic, always pick references that you know will give you stellar reviews – don’t pick a person just because you’re “friends” or because you want to become friends. Funding your college education is not an appropriate time to start building friendships. Use the people around you who know you will be successful for these types of letters.

A couple do’s and don’ts of grant writing for college:

• Use clear, concise language and don’t use ten words when five will do
• Don’t use jargon or acronyms
• Don’t use slang or inappropriate language
• Do not, under any circumstances, use “text speak” (U, L8R, LOL)
• If you’re not a great writer, have someone proofread and edit your statements
• If you don’t understand what a grant is asking for, contact the grantor and ask – never guess!
• READ THE DIRECTIONS – many grantors will automatically disqualify any grant submitted that doesn’t meet their requirements and instructions.

Next… Creating a Project Outline

Creating a Project Outline

Many grants require you to outline an idea, project, research study, or other endeavor related to your education and college experience. Creating an entire idea or project from scratch is a big undertaking, but if you take the time to outline your ideas, the entire process – from start to finish – will run smoother and result in a better outcome! There are several parts to consider for a project outline: The audience reading your project, the title, the introduction/background, the purpose of your project, literature review, rationale of the project, methods for completing the project, significance and implications of the finished project, and timeline for the project.

The Title: Titles of projects should be as short as possible, using words that are commonly used in regular conversation. You don’t get bonus points for using a $25 word when a $2 one will do just as well – and it can sometimes do more harm to your proposed project than good.

The Introduction/Background: This section brings your reader into your idea and provides them a basic understanding any concepts with which they may not be familiar prior to reading your ideas. This section should be short, clearly written, and allow anyone reading it to understand the basic “gist” of your project by the end of the section.

The Purpose and Rationale of the Project: This section requires you to spend significant time brainstorming before and while you write this section. What is essential in this section is to specify for your readers—and for yourself—the precise focus of your project and to identify key concepts you will be studying. This section also answers several questions for your readers such as: What do you hope to find, what will the project add to the field of knowledge, why should this even be a project, and finally what will your project not be exploring?

The Literature Review: This section explores the existing research that is significant to the project. You should identify the existing research and literature that explores your project topic and how other scholars have approached your project’s major themes or ideas.

The Methodology for Completing the Project: This section is essential to creating an excellent project. This section will outline how you have chosen to go about implementing your project and making it “come to life’. This section includes a description of how the project will be achieved including the process, materials, procedures, tasks, etc.

The Significance and Implications of the Finished Project: A clear statement of significance will allow you to discuss how the project will contribute to your profession, to a plan for future projects, or serve your community. This section will also explain the usefulness or benefits of the project to both the outside world and the research community

The Timeline for the Entire Project: Many grants also require a schedule with anticipated completion dates for specific parts of the project. This timeline helps the grantors determine if your project is realistic and appropriate for their grant.
Remember: Outlines are not supposed to be finished documents; they are a roadmap to a finished product. They should include short sentences, succinct ideas, and occasionally bullet points unless the grant instructions specifically state something different.

Can a Single Mother Go Back to School?

Going back to school is a very ideal option for single moms. A college diploma can help a mom land a bigger job, get a raise, or even be promoted. However, studying is very expensive and usually time-consuming. There is just no way that a single mother can raise her kid, work in her job, and study for college all at the same time.

If finances are your concern, there are lots of parties who are more than willing to give you assistance towards your pursuit of giving a better life for your kid. The government, as well as lots of women’s rights organizations, is always actively involved in helping individuals get scholarships or funding. Government helps for single mothers and aid for single mothers are usually targeted towards young women who are smart, driven, and simply keen on expanding their horizons, especially because of their growing family.

The truth is that single mothers have it tough. They have to raise their kids all by themselves, and usually, if their partners cannot give them adequate support, they have to go through the task of looking for funds all by

themselves. They have to seek single mother assistance from the government or financial help for single mothers through private organizations. Also, a lot of single mothers have had to quit their studies in order to spend more time with taking care of their children.

The downside of this situation is that without a college diploma, single mothers can’t get into the high-paying jobs that they need in order to provide for their young family. This scenario is all too common in our country nowadays, but the good news is that help for single moms is available – if you know how to look at it. If you are a single mother, you should not give up on the career that you have aimed for before you had your kid. A college diploma can make all the difference in helping you land a better job and securing a better future for your child. Fortunately, college grants for single mothers can be found in many places. These kinds of aid for single mothers can help you get your career back on track.

If you are worried about not having enough time for your studies, you can consider the option of studying for your diploma online. A lot of good universities now offer distance learning opportunities for non-traditional students, including single mothers who may not have time to go to school aside from going to work and taking care of the household. You can even apply for financial aid for this kind of program. Most education grants for single mothers cover the expenses required for online learning. Even high-cost course like nursing courses can be covered by specific nursing school grants.

Take the time to read up on what options you can have on help for single mothers. As long as you have the desire to succeed and do better in life, nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams and creating a better future for you and your child.

Here are some places to help start your search:

The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund

Single Parent Scholarships are awarded to eligible single parents who are residents of Arkansas. If you are interested in applying for the Single Parent Scholarship, locate your county on the map at www.aspf.org/students_spscholarships.html.

The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program

Since 1978, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation has awarded scholarships to help over 500 women attend college. Applications are available from November through February each year. While this scholarship is not specifically targeted at single moms, they certainly would be subset of the “single women 35 and older” category.

Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation For Low-Income Women And Children

Established in 2003, the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation aims to carry on some of Congresswoman Mink’s most ardent commitments: educational access, support, and opportunity for low-income women, especially mothers; and educational enrichment for children.
More information on the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation.

The R.O.S.E. Scholarship

The R.O.S.E. Scholarship recognizes women who have broken the cycle of domestic violence. The R.O.S.E. Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to women survivors of domestic violence who attend colleges or universities in the New England area. The scholarships are primarily awarded to women who have successfully completed one full year of undergraduate studies, and will be applied to tuition and expenses at any accredited college or university in the Northeast.
More information on The R.O.S.E. Scholarship.

W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship

In March 2007 Doris Buffett, president and founder, announced a new scholarship program of the Sunshine Lady Foundation for the sons and daughters of graduates of the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP). The folks at WISP believe that every student who is capable, motivated and willing to work hard should have the opportunity to earn a college degree. These scholarships are for those who show the greatest promise of success, have financial need and have made education their number one priority.
More information on the W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship.

Expanding Options Online: A Guide for Single Mothers

So you’re a single mom raising your kid all by yourself. Motherhood has its joys and rewards, but it can become very taxing and stressful, especially during your child’s infant years. Financial concerns can be very scary to face, especially if you won’t be getting support from your child’s father. And what if your job is not giving you the pay that you need to give your child a good life? Fortunately, help for single mothers can be found just about anywhere. You just need to know where to look – and what to look for. You can find a company that will give financial help for single parents, and use this to further your education and get a better chance of having a higher paying job.

Help for Single Moms – Online Opportunities

You use the internet for just about everything – keeping in contact with friends and relatives, doing your work, shopping, doing research for recipes, or even planning trips. How about using the internet to get aid for single mothers? Better yet, why not use the internet to improve your career – that is, by studying and getting a college or masters degree online?

Education grants for single mothers are widely available in universities across our country. Government helps for single mothers, as well as aid from private companies, make up these grants. Online students can very much avail of and qualify for these financial aids.

Single mothers fall into the non-traditional category of students and they are still very much eligible for financial assistance for education. As long as you have the will to learn, and commendable records, you would not have much of a problem when you apply for financial aid.

Where will you look for these college grants for single mothers? The financial assistance that you need is usually just a mouse click away. Online, you will find a wealth of information on organizations, the scholarships they offer, and the kind of scholars that they are looking for. You would not have a hard time looking for a website which will cater to a single mom like you.

How to Qualify for Single Mother Assistance

For most online scholarships, you should have at least a high school degree. For some, you need to have had completed at least two years of regular college schooling before stopping school.  To get financial assistance for single mothers, you need to present some records of good credit standing in order to qualify for a loan. For a grant you would not need to pay for records.

The most important thing about applying for a course online is to have the will and the capability to study once again. As long as you are completely determined to get another shot at studying, you would not have a hard time looking for the aid that you need to help you get there.

Where to Get Financial Aid for Single Mothers

Being a single mother has both advantages and disadvantages that having a spouse cannot even come close to imitating. For one thing, being a single mother means that you will be able to manage the raising of your children

more, as there is only one parental influence to take not of. On the other hand, though, the burden of such necessities as the education of your child is purely on your shoulders. Many organizations around the world have taken heed of the need of many for help for single mothers. This is fortunate for the single mothers of today, as this means that it is much easier to get help for single moms in all sorts of different ways. All that is left, then, is to know where to find such centers of aid.

Perhaps the best places a single mother can look at for aid for single mothers are the government agencies, such as the local YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association), Chamber of Commerce, even maybe a nearby branch of WIC (Women, Infants and Children) or TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Being government institutions specially geared with the needs of the single mother in mind, these places will probably be where you will be able to get the most single mother assistance. These will come in a variety of manifestations, such as education grants for single mothers, college grants for single mothers, credit counseling for single mothers and many more.

There is actually little needed to do when you really are a single mother other than to tell the truth about her situation, so do so. The institution will need to know as much as it can about your situation so that it will be able to know as well how to help you in the best ways it can. Do not scrimp on the details regarding the situation regarding you and your family. Cover as many aspects as possible: do not simply dwell on what you see as the financial aspects, even psychological and social aspects may be rooted in other financial woes you may not immediately be aware about. This is to be able to give the institution where you decide to apply for financial aid the best profile of you it can. Think about it this way: if you are an institution that gives a lot of loans out for a good cause, you would want to make sure that the neediest of the needy are given their due share of the financial assistance for single mothers, hence the need for a detailed profile of yourself and your family, as much as that of your respective situations.

There are many government helps for single mothers out there, as much as it may sometimes seem absurd. Many, believe it or not, are more than willing to extend that much needed financial help for single parents, all that is needed to do is to find them.