subject: Education Is Top Priority: Obama Grants For Moms [print this page] Taking advantage of educational opportunities is a smart way to be successful. President Obama is a good example, and he has shown his commitment to helping others. One major part of the effort is to make available to students more free money for college.
College expenses continue to increase even as the economy slumps. Besides tuition and housing, fees for books, travel and eating are often not covered. Many potential students suffer and are unable to afford to go to college. A large number of these people are working mothers. Helping single mothers get an education helps their families and future employers. The President believes in this and has begun a mission to create scholarships for moms. Federal Pell Grants have now been fondly called Obama grants. With these grants, college-bound students can receive over $5,000 to pay for school. For mothers and other students, this is increase of available money is valuable help. These grants can be used to cover many of the miscellaneous college expenses.
The American Opportunity Tax Credit is also a very valuable program. Under this incentive program, education costs up to $4,000 are cleared. This is a worthy incentive, especially for schools that are less expensive. Both of these tax programs help single moms tremendously because they are traditionally low-income individuals. Students have numerous school options: full-time or part-time, 2-year or 4-year college, multiple majors. Taking away a little of the financial burden of college is a helpful way to get more students enrolled.
Obama's efforts to improve education show that he takes this issue seriously. The new stimulus package has some benefits for potential college students. There is more government emphasis on properly preparing students for their future at all levels of education. There is also emphasis on encouraging more students to consider community college. A 2-year degree or the time spent learning a technical school from a community college can be a tremendous asset.
In his Reclaiming the American Dream speech in 2007, Obama said, "We need to put a college education within reach of every American. That's the best investment we can make in our future." With the measures he has taken to this point, the President has demonstrated he means his words. Grants for moms are just a small but vital part of the education mission. Traditional and non-traditional students alike have numerous opportunities to put their education first.
