subject: Money To Help You Attend College: Obama Grants [print this page] Education is always an important key to a good future. Even before he became President, Barack Obama spoke about the need to make education a priority. One major part of the effort is to make available to students more free money for college.
For decades, college prices have steadily increased. Tuition and housing costs often far exceed scholarship offers. Many young adults choose to forgo college because of the cost. Single, working moms are a big section of this group. Helping single mothers get an education helps their families and future employers. The President has attempted to help by encouraging more grants for single mothers to attend school. Although they are the same, many people refer to Federal Pell grants as Obama grants. With these grants, college-bound students can receive over $5,000 to pay for school. The primary goal is to encourage single moms to return to school, and by 2012 they could receive as much as $5,400. These grants can be used to cover many of the miscellaneous college expenses.
Another worthwhile program is the American Opportunity Tax Credit. With this tax credit, the first $4,000 of college expenses are free. The $4,000 grant is especially great for low-income students. Both of these tax programs help single moms tremendously because they are traditionally low-income individuals. Study options are wide open. With a few less money worries, more single mothers can attend college.
Increasing educational opportunity and performance is undoubtedly one of the President's goals. With the recent passage of the economic stimulus plan, a lot of college loans will be offered by the government. The administration is also focusing on improving the performance of schools at all levels. Another goal is to encourage more students to attend community colleges. A 2-year degree or the time spent learning a technical school from a community college can be a tremendous asset.
"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. With the measures he has taken to this point, the President has demonstrated he means 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.
