subject: Obama Grants: Money To Help You Go To College [print this page] It's widely accepted that education is important to having a successful future. The President has on many occasions emphasized the need for a strong education system. Free money through grants and scholarships is only the beginning.
College expenses continue to increase even as the economy slumps. Scholarship packages rarely cover the full amount for tuition, books and housing. Unfortunately some students turn away from higher education because it's too expensive. One group that is particularly hit hard is single mothers. Not only does educating mothers help provide for their families, but it also improves the workforce. Creating college grants for moms is one way the President is dealing with this issue. Although they are the same, many people refer to Federal Pell grants as Obama grants. These grants award a student over $5,000 to go to college. The primary goal is to encourage single moms to return to school, and by 2012 they could receive as much as $5,400. The scholarship money covers practically all school-related expenses.
There's also another great program: the American Opportunity Tax Credit. With this tax program, the first $4,000 of community college or university expenses are free. 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. Another great factor is that students aren't particularly targeted based on what or where they study. Diversity is encouraged. Moms and students of all kinds can go to school with a little less to worry about.
Increasing educational opportunity and performance is undoubtedly one of the President's goals. The stimulus plan that passed has some provisions to make the college loan process easier. In addition, the government is focusing on helping schools improve teaching and students improve performance. Another goal is to encourage more students to attend community colleges. Community college is important to prepare students for a 4-year college but also to prepare them for a 2-year degree or technical skill.
"We need to put a college education within reach of every American. That's the best investment we can make in our future." Those are the words of President Obama in his 2007 speech Reclaiming the American Dream. So far Obama's actions are backing up his words. Scholarships for moms are only a small part of the mission to help educate more people. If you're a potential student who wants to make education a priority, there are many chances for you to do so.
