A lot of research has been done on the benefits of higher education, and all the studies points the same thing – individuals with higher levels of education earn more and are likelier than others to be employed.
According “Education Pays, 2010,” College Board, in 2008, median earnings for women ages 25 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree or higher were 79% higher than median earnings for women with a high school diploma.
For single mothers, going back to college seems like a real passport out of poverty. But with the rising cost of college & little finances at their disposal, they need assistance if they are to pay for school.
Recognizing the need to provide financial aid for single mothers from low-income families, scholarships for college may be offerred by the state of their residence as part of the financial aid package, alongside with other forms of student aid – the Pell Grant, federal loan or work-study award.
Typically, scholarships are “gifted” on the basis of academic merit but it is not uncommon to see scholarships awarded based on a combination of both financial need and merit.
Given below is a State-by-State list of College Scholarships for Single Mothers which are provided & administered by the state higher education agency from each respective state.1
Alabama Scholarships
Alabama Two-Year College Academic Scholarship Program
Gorgas Scholarship
Alaska Scholarships
Alaska Performance Scholarship
GEAR UP Alaska Scholarship
Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarships
Arizona Scholarships
Anne Lindeman Memorial Scholarship
Bill and Mary Reilly Scholarship
Tom Chauncey Fund
Arkansas Scholarships
Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship
Governor’s Distinguished Scholarships
California Scholarships
Cal Opportunity Scholarship
Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship
Colorado Scholarships
CollegeInvest 529 Scholarship
College Access Scholarship
Connecticut Scholarships
Connecticut Aid for Public College Students
Connecticut Capitol Scholarships
Delaware Scholarships
Charles L. Hebner Memorial Scholarship
Delaware Critical Need Scholarship
Delaware Scholarship Incentive Program
Florida Scholarships
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship
José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund
Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship Program
Rosewood Family Scholarship
Georgia Scholarships
Georgia Governor’s Scholarship
Georgia HOPE Scholarship
Georgia Zell Miller Scholarship
Hawaii Scholarships
Hawaii State Tuition Waivers
UH Mānoa Student Scholarships (STAR)
Idaho Scholarships
Idaho Governor’s Challenge Scholarship
Idaho Minority and ”At-Risk” Scholarship
Utah-Idaho Scholarship
Illinois Scholarships
Illinois Merit Recognition Scholarships
Illinois State Scholar Program
Indiana Scholarships
Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship
Twenty-first Century Scholars Program
Twenty-first Century Scholars GEAR UP Scholarship
Iowa Scholarships
All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship
Terry E. Branstad Iowa State Fair Scholarship
Robert D. Blue Scholarship
Kansas Scholarships
Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship
Kansas Vocational Scholarships
Kentucky Scholarships
Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES)
Mary Jo Young Scholarship
Louisiana Scholarships
TOPS (Taylor Opportunity Program for Students)
Maine Scholarships
Hope Milliken McNally Scholarship
Kenneth Jordan Higgins Memorial Scholarship
Maryland Scholarships
Edward T. Conroy Memorial Scholarship
Maryland Delegate Scholarship
Maryland HOPE Scholarship
Massachusetts Scholarships
Agnes M. Lindsay Scholarship
Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship
John & Abigail Adams Scholarship
Paul Tsongas Scholarship
Michigan Scholarships
Michigan Competitive Scholarship
Michigan Tuition Incentive Program
Minnesota Scholarships
Minnesota Achieve Scholarship
Minnesota Indian Scholarship
Mississippi Scholarships
Nissan Scholarship
Missouri Scholarships
A+ Scholarship Program
Kids Chance Scholarship Program
Marguerite Ross Barnett Memorial Scholarship
Montana Scholarships
Montana Community College Honor Scholarship
Montana High School Honor Scholarship
Nebraska Scholarships
Access College Early Scholarship Program
ACE Plus Scholarship Program
Nevada Scholarships
Gov. Guinn Millennium Scholarship
New Hampshire Scholarships
Granite State Scholars Program
New Jersey Scholarships
Dana Christmas Scholarship for Heroism
Miss New Jersey Educational Scholarship
New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship
New Mexico Scholarships
Legislative Endowment Scholarship
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
New Mexico Scholars Program
New York Scholarships
New York Tuition Assistance Program
NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence
North Carolina Scholarships
Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarships
Incentive Scholarship and Grant Program for Native Americans (ISGPNA)
Robert Franklin Black Scholarship
North Dakota Scholarships
North Dakota Academic Scholarships
North Dakota Indian Scholarship
Ohio Scholarships
Choose Ohio First Scholarship
Ohio Academic Scholarship
Ohio National Guard Scholarship
Oklahoma Scholarships
Oklahoma’s Promise
Academic Scholars Program
Oregon Scholarships
Jerome B. Steinbach Scholarship
Arthur and Winifred E.M. James Scholarship
St. Helens HS – Susan & James Huff Scholarship
Pennsylvania Scholarships
GEAR UP Scholarship
Rhode Island Scholarships
Rhode Island Academic Promise Scholarship
South Carolina Scholarships
South Carolina HOPE Scholarship
Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship
South Dakota Scholarships
Jump Start Scholarship
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
Tennessee Scholarships
General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS)
Tennessee Student Assistance Awards (TSAA)
Texas Scholarships
Competitive Scholarship Waiver
Texas Top 10% Scholarship
Utah Scholarships
New Century Scholarship
Regents’ Scholarship
Vermont Scholarships
Virginia Scholarships
Granville P. Meade Scholarship
Stephen J. Wright Scholars Program
Virginia Lee Jackson Scholarship
Washington Scholarships
College Bound Scholarship
Washington Promise Scholarship
West Virginia Scholarships
West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship
Wisconsin Scholarships
Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship
Wyoming Scholarships
Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship Program
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If you’re interested in any of these scholarships, do your research and familiarize yourself with the prerequisites. Choose the ones for which you best qualify and have the best chance of winning.
Pay attention to application deadlines — they can vary from late summer to late spring. With many students vying for the same, it pays to be early! So don’t wait until the last minute to get your scholarship applications and/or essays in.
Note: It may be tough finding scholarships dedicated to single dads. So, it’s a good idea to look for scholarships for single mothers. More often than not, the scholarship provider will likely consider your application too!
The U.S. Department of Education has a large database of scholarships primarily from private organizations and individual schools. You can search for scholarships of interest to you by using relevant keywords.
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