American desi girls pics, Finding College Scholarships Sources Is Time Well Spent

Finding College Scholarships Sources Is Time Well Spent

Many adults are going back to school in the recession to upgrade their skills or their education credentials. Some of these adults are single moms who might have delayed a college or university education or who have had their education interrupted for one reason or another. Fortunately, there are a variety of scholarships, grants and fellowships to help pay tuition.

With adults marrying later in life, or remaining single, the number of single parent births has been on the rise. A 2010 report from the Pew Research Center shows that a record 1 in 4, or 41 percent, of births in 2008 were to unmarried women as compared with 28 percent in 1990. Most mothers of newborns in 2006, particularly those ages 35 and older, had at least some education beyond high school, particularly those who were ages 35 and older. Scholarships, grants and fellowships can help these and other single mothers obtain a college or university degree without having to repay a lot of student debt in the process or after graduation.

Merit-based scholarships for parents particularly have been shown to have benefits. In 2006 in New Orleans, the early findings from a study on an enhanced scholarship program for low-income parents attending school at least half-time and earning a minimum C average noted that these students were more likely to enroll in college full-time, pass more courses and earn more course credits. While the New Orleans scholarship program included enhanced counseling for recipients, many colleges and institutions offer support services for women and adult students. Nearly six million college and university students, or 40 percent of all students, are ages 25 and older, and most colleges and universities have organized programs and services specifically for them, according to the US Department of Education.

Online degree programs as well allow single moms to obtain and submit their course work from wherever they have an Internet connection, whenever they schedule time and without having to worry about childcare. Scholarships, fellowships and grants, some of them designed specifically for single moms, can often be applied to online degree programs. Single moms might also find themselves eligible for funds that are designed for women in general, students with financial needs, specific subject areas of study, specific racial/ethnic groups and more.

In instances where single moms have decided on a major area of study, they might look toward awarded monies designed to increase diversity in specific fields. For example, the non-profit Society of Women Engineers has made available up to $10,000 in scholarships and fellowships for engineering, technical and computer science studies. Similar scholarships might be found through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Nursing scholarships are available in a variety of specialty areas from organizations such as the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses and to individuals who are less represented in that field, as well (the National Black Nurses Association and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses).

Scholarships specifically for single moms are available through the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation for Low-Income Women and Children, which this year awarded up to $2,000 to mothers with annual family incomes of less than $17,500 for a family of two; $22,000 for a family of three; and $26,500 for a family of four. The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program makes scholarships available to low-income women ages 35 and older. Residents of Arkansas might find assistance through the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Scholarships for women who are survivors of domestic abuse are provided through the R.O.S.E. Scholarship program.

Single moms have more general scholarship opportunities available to them as well. The federal government's Pell grant program was recently expanded, and it's designed for low income students who attend a college or university at least half-time. The American Association of Business Women, Executive Women International and the American Association of University Women make scholarships and fellowships available to women. The United Negro College Fund offers scholarships of its own and provides scholarships and fellowships in partnership with large corporations and governments. The Hispanic College Fund offers a variety of scholarships to full-time students and, like the United Negro College Fund, lists additional scholarship opportunities on its web site.

Single moms seeking scholarships for traditional or online degree programs might want to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available online and which might be required by some scholarship programs. Scholarship search engines are available through the US Departments of Education and Labor, the College Board and on websites such as fastweb and scholarships.com. Scholarships often require that colleges and universities are accredited by nationally recognized agencies, which also makes it more likely students can transfer academic credits.

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