Single parents are making their mark in the world on a daily basis by proving they are capable of resilient feats. Some realise that they can improve the lives of their families by positioning themselves academically to qualify for better employment in order to lead by example for their children. Scholarships for single moms are also attractive to young girls who may have fallen pregnant in their teens and who seek to continue on study and career paths while raising their little one.
Getting an education, however, is a long-term investment and wont show returns until you are complete, this is the hard part for single parents to consider when wanting to pursue their studies. There are however plenty of opportunities to consider as a mother seeking to pursue her studies. The federal and local governments as well as colleges have a number of scholarships for single moms to help alleviate the financial burden and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.
Depending on what field you want to pursue your career, certain colleges who teach nursing or teaching have grants of their own for single mothers or fathers. The Pell Grant is a frequently mentioned option. Scholarships for single moms are also available by way of the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) engineered specifically for students suffering financial hardship.
Federal Pell Grants for college are only given to undergraduate students who have no prior bachelor’s degree. Minority College Grants are reserved for students belonging to the different minority groups, like Asians, Native Americans, Hispanics, and African-Americans. These are awarded to an applicant based on his or her financial needs or ethnic challenges. Some sources of these minority grants include the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity (FSEOG) and Federal Pell Grant.
Scholarships for single moms such as the Nursing Scholarship Program, offer an opportunity to work in and experienced disadvantaged areas for a period of two years. Once you have conducted enough research to gain a direction as to which grant you want to apply for you will begin to learn what criteria you need to have in order to qualify. This process will also assist in guiding you to where to find answers and who to seek for further advice.
The process itself is lengthy with lots of paperwork and documentation to fill out and will not happen overnight, but you will learn a great deal during the application process. Scholarships for single moms are available to anyone eligible, it may be daunting to think of engaging the application process but if you view it as a learning opportunity you will find it is a part of the journey you enjoy.
When seeking a good place to start your journey as a single mom looking to having your education subsidised, the following organisations will come up frequently;
- Jeannette Rankin Foundation
- The R.O.S.E. Fund
- Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation
- Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP)
The Jeannette Rankin Foundation
Lets take a more intimate look at what these organisations offer and why they exist. The Jeannette Rankin Foundation for example, awards scholarships for single moms and low-income women 35 and older. This is the perfect target for moms who are over 35 wanting to further themselves academically.
Among Jeannette Rankin scholars in 2008, 70 women (or 88% ) are heads of their households. JRF is aware that low-income adult women face unique challenges in pursuing higher education. Raising a family means greater responsibilities than younger college students. As a result, many courses of study and scholarship programs do not consider time constraints of family care giving or work responsibilities. Despite these challenges, any number of life circumstances may precipitate a woman’s choice to return to school and seek the befitting scholarships for single moms:
- Divorce
- Loss of a job
- Death of a spouse
- Leaving an abusive partner
- Disability of herself, her spouse, or a child
- Motivation to become self-sufficient and overcome poverty
As a result, the organisation provides opportunities for women nationwide to secure careers and break the cycle of poverty. At JRF, ‘each scholarship recipient has a vision of how education will benefit herself, her family and her community. While the women come from diverse backgrounds, they are all united and motivated by their goal to succeed through education.’
Because of women such as Jeannette Rankin, scholarships for single moms are available, and the Foundation honors the name and legacy of all American woman of incredible spirit and determination. Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1916 and a strong advocator of women’s rights. When she dies, she left a portion of her Georgia estate to assist “mature, unemployed women workers.” Now the JRF by providing much needed aid to women with the same attributes.
In 1978, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation awarded one scholarship in the amount of $500 and since it has awarded over $1.3 million in scholarships to over 600 women. The Fund’s policy is to ‘make financial awards without regard to race, creed, religion, color, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, or physical disability.’ JRF is a great source of scholarships for single moms who face obstacles in their daily engagement with society.
Eligibility Requirements for JRF require a woman to be include being;
- A woman, age 35 or older.
- A U.S. citizen.
- Enrolled in, or accepted to, a regionally or ACICS accredited school.
- Pursuing a technical or vocational education, an associate’s degree, or a first bachelor’s degree.
- Low-income
Income guidelines or eligibility is based on the student’s estimated household income for the coming school year. These statistics are important to understand in order to figure out your eligibility for their scholarships for single moms. The JRF’s income guidelines are derived from the Department of Labor’s Lower Living Standard. To see their figures visit website at http://www.rankinfoundation.org/students
JRF selection Factors required include the Fund understanding the following;
- Your goals
- Your plan for reaching your goals
- Challenges you may have faced
- Your financial situation
- Accreditation
The R.O.S.E. Fund
For single moms who experienced the trauma of domestic and teen dating violence and who wish to get back on their feet, start anew and pursue and academic career, the R.O.S.E. Fund is a good place to start. The acronym stands for Regaining One’s Self Esteem and is a New England non-profit based outside of Boston mandated to break the silence and the cycle of domestic violence and teen dating violence and abuse.
Their aim is to reward and recognize women who has shown strength and courage concerning what it takes to overcome the challenges of being a victim of domestic violence. This includes a women who can set an example of hope and inspiration buy having gone onto success and independence. The website encourages nominations of such a woman and may be a good opportunity to land scholarships for single moms through.
The Fund empowers female survivors to rebuild their lives by providing them with free access to a wide range of medical, dental, facial reconstructive surgeries and annual achievement awards such as scholarships for single moms. 80% of ROSE recipients are mothers and as a result of their existence, women have been able to re-build their lives, achieve self-sufficiency and regain their self-esteem. The ROSE Awards distinction is accompanied by a cash award of $10,000.00
The Patsy Takemoto Mink Foundation
Patsy Takemoto Mink (1927-2002) served in the US Congress for two sessions in the past decade representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District. As the first woman of color elected to the US House of Representatives, she championed civil rights, women’s rights, economic justice, civil liberties, peace and the integrity of the democratic process. Established in 2003 the foundation aims to support women who advocate similar qualities by way of educational access as well as opportunities for low-income women, especially through scholarships for single moms as well as educational enrichment for children.
In 2011, the Foundation will offers five Education Support Awards of up to $2000 each to assist low-income single mothers who wish to further themselves academically. The current application period is already closed however you can visit the website for additional information about the application process. Usually applications for the next cycle of the Education Support Awards begin on May 15.
According to the application criteria, to qualify for the Foundation’s scholarships for single moms you;
- must be a woman, at least 17 years of age
- must be a mother, with minor children
- must be enrolled in a skills training, ESL, or GED program; or pursuing a technical/vocational degree, an associate’s degree, a first bachelor’s degree, or a professional/master’s/doctoral degree.
- must be enrolled in an accredited program during the 2010-2011 academic year
- must be low-income (annual family income less than $17,500 for a family of 2; $22,000 for a family of 3; $26,500 for a family of 4)
Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP)
WISP views education as a powerful tool to breaks down barriers and open doors of opportunity. The objective of the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program is similar to that of the ROSE foundation, assisting survivors of intimate partner abuse to obtain an education that will foster indepencdence and capacity building. WISP supports full or part-time students interested in attending accredited programs at educational institutions listed below, in order of preference:
- State supported community colleges
- State supported colleges or universities
- Technical/vocational schools
- Private colleges or universities
- For Profit schools
The WISP program aims to help single mothers with young children who have the greatest financial challenges (childcare costs, etc.) to gain work skills so they can support their families. Their funds target women who are in desperate financial situations with their scholarships for single moms.
If you wish to apply, the website encourages that though it appears to be a long application process, they suggest tackling just a section at a time and having your sponsor on hand or calling the offices to assist. It is important to note that at WISP, funds to assist with expenses for graduate school are limited and though they hold women who pursue graduate degrees in law, medicine, social work, etc. in high regard, the basic “crisis situation” financial need criterion are what they operate toward.
WISP scholarships for single moms hold for profit schools at a low priority due to their high tuition costs, low graduation rates, lack of credit transferability and other limitations. To be eligible WISP you must be a woman who has survived intimate partner abuse and have been parted from the abusive partner for a minimum of one year. Women interested in using their education to further the rights of and options for, women and girls will be given deference.
To qualify for a WISP scholarship for single moms the following criteria are required:
- Is a citizen or legal resident of the United States;
- Has applied to or is officially accepted into an accredited course of study at a United States institution;
- Demonstrates a critical need for financial assistance;
- Exhibits a strong desire and ability to complete a training and/or academic program;
- Has a plan to use training to upgrade skills for career advancement for a new career field, to enter the job market; and
- Has sought services from a non-profit, domestic violence agency for a minimum of 6 consecutive months who will be willing to act as sponsor by mentoring and providing support to the student throughout her educational experience.
These programs show that support in the form of scholarships for single moms who wish to further themselves are available in various packages designed to consider the needs and situations of that mother’s life. Such foundations continue to inspire and produce inspiring women who have survived challenging and traumatic circumstances to reach their dreams of a new life and in turn inspire others.