School Grants For Single Mothers

Unless you are a single mother yourself, the availability of grants for single women with children may not be of much interest to you. The fact is that there are actually a number of such programs available to women nowadays, all of which have been established to meet the special demands of this demographic.

More and more single mothers are keen on returning to college to get their degrees nowadays, although not everyone has the means to pay for such education. Through financial assistance programs such as grants and scholarships provided by the federal government and private institutions, single women with children finally have the means to secure bachelors and doctoral degrees.

Available Federal Grants For Single Mothers

The Pell Grant is the most commonly used funding source for further education, and it is ideally suited for single mothers as well. This program is a need-based package that awards anywhere from $400 to $5,350 to successful applicants. In order to apply for a Pell Grant, you will have to submit an application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. Eligibility for the Pell Grant is a prerequisite for many other federal aid programs.

Another program that single mothers can apply for is the Academic Competitive Grant or ACG. This is a merit-based program that is offered to first- and second-year college students that have showed strong academic performance in high school. This grant can get applicants as much as $750 to $1300. Again this program requires the student to file a FAFSA.

The Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant or FSEOG is another program worth considering, and it offers funds for students that can show financial need. Grant money awarded under this program ranges from $100 and $4000. A FAFSA application is also required for this program.

Single mothers also have the option to apply for a National SMART grant, which awards scholarship programs in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering and certain foreign language courses that are essential to international relations. This is a merit-based program that is intended for 3rd- and 4th-year college students, and it offers as much as $4000 per applicant. FAFSA is also a prerequisite for approval.

The state government may also be a valuable source of educational funding for single mothers. These programs may vary from state to state with regard to eligibility requirements, award amount and application requirements. It would be best do some research in your library or on the Internet for the conditions of such programs in your specific state.

In New York for instance, single mothers may apply for the Tuition Assistance Program or TAP and get as much as $5,000. The Kansas state government for its part offers Comprehensive Grant awards that range from $100 to 1,100.