subject: Mothers: How Education Grants Can Help You [print this page] Mothers: How Education Grants Can Help You
Junior colleges frequently get a bad rap. For busy moms community college can be a wonderful idea. Both academically and personally junior colleges present a wealth of options. Earning money to go to school is also an important but not impossible task. It's a big myth that junior colleges aren't for serious students. At a 2-year college, students can stay close to home to develop maturity or save money or even take basic courses to help determine their future majors. Young mothers who recently graduated high school obviously benefit from this situation, but so also do older mothers. Initiated in 2009, President Obama's Grants for Moms are aimed at alleviating some of the financial pressure moms have in trying to go to school. There are few better financial aid opportunities than a $5,000 grant. One of the biggest attractions to junior colleges is the financial savings. Even with a $5,000 Pell Grant for a mother, saving money is always important. At a 4-year institution the cost of attendance could be 30,000 a year or more. In fact many high school graduates with a high SAT score can get a full scholarship to go to junior college. This is good news for a teen mother who wouldn't find it feasible to attend a university even if she has the high test scores to allow it. Travel expenses and housing are just a couple of the other necessary expenses that could be covered with the $5,000 grant. At junior colleges many students will find that they have study opportunities that are similar to 4-year schools. According to a 2002 New York Times article, 168 community colleges maintain honors programs. Many also have study opportunities that reflect the opportunities at big liberal arts universities. Some schools allow students to study subjects like philosophy and cultural art in places around the world. These quality academic opportunities can help students as they work toward further degrees and as they develop their careers. A community college education is well within reach for a mom who has earned an education grant. Attending a junior college allows a mom to save some money even as she has the bonus of a $5,000 mom scholarship. Going to school in a less pressurized environment can greatly affect performance and make achievement seem more attainable. On the path toward your career, a 2-year degree is a good first step.
