College Scholarships and Grants for Single Mothers
Single mothers must spend time with children, run errands and work long hours to
provide for their families. When one shoulders that kind of responsibility, attending
college may seem like an impossible feat. According to Raise the Nation, an organization
dedicated to helping single mothers who want to continue their education find money
for college, nearly 38 percent of single mothers live at or below the poverty level.
Those with at least a bachelor’s degree are five times less likely to find themselves
in such a dire financial state.
With little finances at their disposal, many single mothers are in critical need
of financial aid. Luckily, numerous scholarship providers recognize that single
parents need assistance if they are to pay for school. That is why many college
scholarships and grants have been created specifically to help single mothers afford
a postsecondary education. In helping these mothers, scholarship providers are making
it possible for them to create a more secure financial future for themselves and
their children.
Take a look at the following scholarship opportunities
for single mothers. If you would like additional
scholarship information regarding programs based on single-parent status
as well as other criteria, try conducting a free college scholarship search at Scholarships.com.
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.
More information on The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund.
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.
More information on The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program.
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 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.
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.
This scholarship is available to single parent women who would like to go to school
or continue with their education, but have been denied sufficient resources. Many
single parent women are denied educational grants and assistance unless they are
living in crisis and poverty and are instead forced to borrow money for tuition
and living expenses, which is very difficult to re-pay based on the national earning
average of $27,500 a year - even with an education.
More information on the Raise the Nation Scholarship For Continuing Education.