Being a single mother is not easy and often requires putting your education on hold in order to focus on your child. In many cases, the two may go hand in hand because higher education will improve the quality of life for the entire family.
With little finances at their disposal, single parents need assistance if they are to pay for school. That is why various educational scholarships are available for higher education, and since they are positioned as scholarships, they do not need to be repaid.
Given below is a list of Scholarships for Single Mothers from private foundations & organizations.
Helping Hands for Single Moms
Helping Hands for Single Moms is a community-based non-profit organization offerring unrestricted scholarships of up to $270 each month to help impoverished single mothers who lives in the Phoenix-Metro area pursue college degree and achieve financial independence.
Applicants must carry minimum of nine (9) credit hours per semester and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA or better.
Support A Student Scholarship
Support a Student Scholarship for Single Parents awards a $10,000 scholarship to a economically disadvantaged single parent who is enrolled in an accredited online post-secondary institution.
The $10,000 scholarship is exclusively created for single parents to help them pay for non-tuition related living expenses – rent, childcare, internet, books & school supplies, groceries, etc.
The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation
The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation offers scholarships to single mothers and select young people who generally have zero chance when it comes to college scholarships.
Applicants must have a GPA of at least 2.5 and must submit their online application to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation no later than May 15, 2012.
The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship
The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship is a scholarship program for single parents who reside in Arkansas. Through this scholarship, single mothers are able to complete their post-secondary education & improve their income-earning potential.
The award may be used for tuition, books, utility bills, car maintenance, childcare, or any other financial need that contributes to the recipients’ success in school.
Women’s Independence Scholarship Program
The primary aim the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) is to help single mothers with young children who have the greatest financial challenges to gain work skills so they become financially independent and be able to support their families. Priority is given to those who are survivors of partner abuse.
Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women
Linda’s scholarships are awarded annually to women who are 25 years or older, non-traditional students who have a difficult time finding scholarships for which they qualify.
For the 2012 scholarship program, a total of $10,000 in scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants. Application must be submitted no later than September 4, 2012.
Gump & Ayers Scholarship Fund
Established in 1996 in memory of Marjorie B. Gump, the Gump & Ayers Scholarship Fund (GASF) offers one-time scholarship to single mothers who enroll in higher education.
The GASF is designed to help single mothers from Utah obtain the education necessary to provide financial security and support for themselves and their children. The GASF is administered by the P.E.O. Foundation and Utah State Chapter of P.E.O. Sisterhood.
Agnes Drexler Kujawa Memorial Scholarship
Agnes Drexler Kujawa Memorial Scholarship provides annual scholarships of up to $1,000 to single mothers trying to obtain a college degree to improve their lives and the lives of their children.
Applicants must have applied and been accepted for admission to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
The Toby Hopper Endowed Scholarship
The Toby Hopper Endowed Scholarship for Single Mothers offers financial assistance to single, non-traditional students who provide major financial support to their custodial children.
This need-based scholarship are only for those are pursuing a degree in teacher education at Kennesaw State University.
Emerge Scholarships, Inc.
Each year Emerge Scholarships, Inc awards women – those who are returning to school after a hiatus, and single mothers re-entering the work place – between $2,000 and $5,000 in academic scholarships.
Any women with financial need is encouraged to apply but preference is given to those who are pursuing their education in the state of Georgia. Applications for the 2012 scholarship program will be accepted & postmarked no later than Friday, January 6, 2012.
Helen M. Clymer Scholarship
This scholarship was established in memory of Helen M. Clymer to award scholarships annually to single mothers from Berks County who seek post-secondary education at a college or university located in Berks County. Application must be submitted online between January 15th and April 1st.
The Jennifer Carlson Scholarship
The Jennifer Carlson Scholarship was created in 2009 by the Carlson family of Belvidere, in honor of Jennifer Carlson, a family member killed in the fire in Chicago’s Wrigleyville on March 10, 2007.
Any single mother interested in this scholarship is required to submit an application letter indicating why she is going back to school, her goals, and some information about herself and her child or children and address the letter before March to
Jennifer Carlson Scholarship
P. O. Box 83
Belvidere , 61008
Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards
Founded in in 1921, the Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards provide scholarships to women who demonstrate financial need and are the primary income-earner for their family. Applications are due each year on December 1.
The Ford Opportunity Program
The Ford Opportunity Program provides scholarships to 55 single mothers who are residents of Oregon or Siskiyou County, California. These are designed specifically for head of household single parents pursuing their bachelor’s degrees.
The scholarship award covers 90 percent (maximum of $25,000 annually) of the college costs not covered by other sources. It can be renewed each year for up to four years.
Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation Scholarship
This private scholarship of up to $2,000 per academic year is offered to low-income women with children by the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation. Applicants must be at least 17 years old and demonstrate financial need. Priority is given to single mothers with minor children.
Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
Single mothers over 35 years of age and with low incomes are also candidates for the Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund. Recipients come from diverse backgrounds but all have the goal of furthering their education to create a better life for themselves and their children. In 2010, the fund awarded 80 low-income women in the U.S. with scholarships of $2,000 each.
Peggy Jack Baskin Foundation Scholarship
The scholarship program, launched in 2008 by Peggy & Jack Baskin, provides a two-year, $20,000 grant to support bright, underprivileged women who are currently attending any of the area community colleges — Cabrillo, Hartnell or Monterey Peninsula.
The Jackie Robinson Foundation
JRF awards four–year scholarships of up to $7,500 per year to minority high school students who plan on attending a four-year college. Applicants are personally interviewed and funds are awarded based on academics, leadership potential, and financial need. Single mothers who exhibit evidence of financial need may apply for this scholarship.
P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education
Program for Continuing Education (PCE) was established to provide need-based grants of up to $3000 to women who demonstrate a need for financial assistance to return to school to support themselves and their families. This free money is intended for expenses such as tuition, books, transportation, or childcare, and is not meant to be used for living expenses or to repay educational loans.
Other Scholarship Opportunities for Single Parents
If you require financial assistance to get yourself back into college, you might also want to look into the following list of single parent scholarships1 and see if you’re eligible to apply
- Carl W. Bull Nursing Scholarship
- James E. “Pete” Petersen Scholarship
- Dr. Risdon Memorial Development Award
- Anne M. Buscaglia Scholarship
- Genesis Science or Engineering Scholarship – Santa Ana College
- Karen Martin Scholarship
- Dominion Peoples Grant
- Esther Dutton Kates Fellowship – WCC
- Ethel Tucker Lowe Scholarship
- Nancy Bean Costco IT Scholarship
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If you’re interested in any of these scholarships, you should first familiarize yourself with the prerequisites & requirements. In most cases, you’re required to write an essay on a given topic which can either make or break your chances of winning a scholarship.
Keep in mind that scholarships are gifted on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. With many applicants vying for the same, it’s critical to apply early way before the datelines.
Even if you are ineligible for scholarships, you may receive financial aid in the form of federal student loans with lower interest rates & better repayment schemes than most private loans.
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