subject: Putting Education First For Single, Working Mothers [print this page] It's widely accepted that education is important to having a successful future. Since running for office in 2008, President Barack Obama has made education a priority issue for his administration. Many important people are focused on increasing scholarship opportunities and improving education.
For decades, college prices have steadily increased. Tuition and housing costs often far exceed scholarship offers. Unfortunately some students turn away from higher education because it's too expensive. One group that is particularly hit hard is single mothers. Helping single mothers get an education helps their families and future employers. Creating college grants for moms is one way the President is dealing with this issue. There is no difference between Federal Pell Grants and Obama grants. The name "Obama grants" came as a result of the President's emphasis on educating moms. To help with university costs, a student can earn more than $5,000. This is an increase of $1,000 over the previous maximum, and the goal is to help working mothers return to school. These grants can be used to cover many of the miscellaneous college expenses.
Another worthwhile program is the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Under this incentive program, education costs up to $4,000 are cleared. This $4,000 write off can be a big help to many students. Both of these tax programs help single moms tremendously because they are traditionally low-income individuals. There are almost no restrictions on where and what a student studies. Now the expenses are just a little lighter, and eager mothers can enroll in school.
With his actions President Obama has confirmed his belief in this issue. The new stimulus package has some benefits for potential college students. In addition, the government is focusing on helping schools improve teaching and students improve performance. The President believes community colleges need to become viable options. 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.
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. If the goal is to educate as many as possible, making grants available for mothers is a good step. Traditional and non-traditional students alike have numerous opportunities to put their education first.
