Loans and Grants For Single Moms

Posts Tagged ‘Federal’

One of the hottest topics on Capitol Hill right now is education. The reason for that is the Obama administration wants more people in college because they can contribute more to the economy and all of their families will also benefit as well.

The biggest group that is targeted is single mothers. Many times moms are not included in federal programs. Another reason is that they often believe that they just can’t afford more education. Because President Obama understands this predicament, he has seen to it that the Pell Grant was increased to over $5,000.00. In fact, he believes it so much that this was accomplished within the frist several weeks of him taking office.

A lot of times, students want no part of a loan. These must be paid back and some students fear that once they graduate, they will be burdened with this expense as well as all of the other costs of living. There are, however, a number of different ways that do not include loans to finance your education.

1. Pell Grants are given on a needs-base. These are specially designed for those with a low-income. If you are a single mom, you are likely to fall into this category and can receive up to $5,350.00.

2. If you are studying in the fields of Math or Science or a something related to those, then you may try for the National SMART Grant. This is sponsored by the National Science & Mathematics Association and is open to those in their third and fourth years of study.

3. TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) Grants can provide up to $4,000.00 per year is you are planning to become an educator. It doesn’t matter if you want to teach elementary or secondary school, you may qualify for this grant.

4. If you are in the lowest income category, then you may qualify for a FSEOG (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant) which can add an additional $100.00 to $4,000.00 per year to help you through school.

5. If you graduated from your high school after 2005, you may also receive funds from the Academic Competitiveness Grant. This will provide $750.00 during your first year of study and another $1,300.00 for your second year.

Start by applying for these five programs. There are a host of other opportunities for you as well. You don’t have to wait any longer to pursue your dreams thanks to this new administration’s efforts.

Originally posted 2009-11-22 15:24:57. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Mothers’ returning to the classroom is the hot topic these days.  In fact, part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has addressed this issue by increasing funding to the government educational grant programs while opening eligibility.  But, the government isn’t the only entity trying to put mom through school.  Many private institutions have been providing scholarships to mothers for many years.

One private scholarship program is called Raise the Nation.  This organization was established in 2002 by a single mother with the help of Insanity House (an organization whose mission is to raise the status of single parent women and non-traditional families through the challenging and changing of legislation that directly affects the single parent family system).

The founder of Raise the Nation discovered that there are roughly 13 million single mothers in America and came up with the idea that if each single mother were to just donate $1 a year, then scholarships could be provided to millions of single mothers each year.  The mission of Raise the Nation is to provide economic support to single parent women who want to continue their education or repay student loans.

But, why all this focus on mothers?

Ninety nine percent (99%) of women in America will work for pay at some time in their lives while 60.7% of these women will be mothers with children under the age of 3 when they work.  Currently, women comprise 46% (almost half) of the nation’s workforce.  Eighty percent (80%) of single parent families are headed by women yet only 22% make more than $30K a year.  Ironically, over 80% of single mothers lack higher education, thus locking them into the poverty cycle.

With women, especially mothers, making up such a significant portion of the workforce yet living in poverty, this issue can no longer be ignored in our world of high unemployment and plummeting economy.  Partake in all the options available to you.  It is never too late to break the poverty cycle for you and your family.

Originally posted 2009-12-06 15:23:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter