subject: Moms: Earn Your Degree At A Community College [print this page] Community college is often the punchline to jokes about college. For busy moms community college can be a wonderful idea. Personal benefits and academic challenges are part of the package for smart students who want to earn a degree. With financial opportunity you could get the education you want and need.
A common falsehood is that only people who don't want to earn a "real" degree attend junior college. There are actually some very enticing benefits to go to these schools, including the lower tuition costs. Young mothers who recently graduated high school obviously benefit from this situation, but so also do older mothers. For moms who want to gain knowledge and degrees, the Obama scholarships for mothers are a strong financial benefit. A $5,000 award to return to school is a huge incentive.
School costs like tuition can be extremely high, but one of the the best things about 2-year colleges is the relatively low cost of attendance. Moms who apply for a $5,000 grant certainly want to be cost conscious when going to school. At a 4-year institution the cost of attendance could be 30,000 a year or more. There is much competition at liberal arts colleges for scholarships, but at many junior colleges high SAT scores and GPA almost guarantee a significant scholarship. This is a significant prize for young moms who still managed to do well in school. A mother can take care of a number of necessary expenses using the $5,000 Pell Grant.
At many schools the gap is closing between the classes that 2-year colleges offer and those that are offered at big liberal arts universities. Honors programs at colleges are often a symbol of success, and a 2002 New York Times report found that many junior colleges offer these programs. Chances to study broad interests are also part of the developing community college landscape. Some schools allow students to study subjects like philosophy and cultural art in places around the world. Since junior colleges are state- and locally-funded, it helps them as well when they offer intriguing courses and can attract top students.
A community college education is well within reach for a mom who has earned an education grant. The local college scene is a great place to make use of the $5,000 Pell Grant for moms. Whether you want to eventually earn an advanced degree or want to go into a business or industry, junior college can help you achieve that goal. A 2-year associate degree is a great start to sound career development.
