subject: Financial Aid For Moms Starting School Online! [print this page] Kids, cooking, and cleaning, while studying and holding down a job. It's sound crazy, but that's the life of many working mothers. Moms are adding college student to the list of hats they already wear. For some, this is possible due to the availability of single mother's grants, the criteria of which they meet.
Technology is helping moms get the degrees they want with online education programs. Online colleges allow students to gain a degree or certification without sacrificing family time or a current job. Working mothers can do their homework with their kids. As one woman put it, doing homework together allows you to be a role model for your children. If you need more information about scholarships for single mothers, look on the internet.
The Department of Education finds almost three times as many women than men enrolling in college. At one online school, nearly half the 48,000 students are moms. That's one reason many organizations are coming up with ways to help working women afford their education. There are grants through federal and state governments and private institutions. Some schools even have their own financial aid programs for single mothers.
Filling out a FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) will help you qualify for financial aid. These forms are available online and are used by all private and public schools to determine which students get financial aid. There are grants, loans and work study programs available. Some federal grants, like Pell and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, are based on financial need. The Academic Competitive grants are merit based and the National SMART grant is for students pursuing a particular subject, like engineering or a science.
Your state is also a funding source for college. Each state has its own requirements for distributing grant money. Your state's government website should link you to college grant programs.
Ask your boss if your company has programs to reimburse employees taking college classes. Some companies will pay your tuition if it will make you a more valuable worker. Find out if your employer is part of the corporate connection program. Participating businesses get 10% off tuition for employees. If you enroll at an online college, you won't have to miss work for class. That's a selling point for many businesses. There is an abundance of information about grants for single parents on the web.
Your online college may have its own scholarship for working mothers. If not, there are websites that match students with scholarships. Not all scholarships are based on academics. Some consider community service, work experience and a student's essay skills.
