March 17, 2010
Financial Aid | Financial Aid For Moms Learning Online
Attending school may seem like an impossibility for the working mother. Balancing taking care of the kids, cooking and cleaning, while studying and holding down a job, may seem out of reach. Then there’s the cost of running a house and paying for college. Just the thought is exhausting. But moms are making it work, going back to school to improve their family’s quality of life. All of this is being made possible by single mothers grants.
Technology is helping moms get the degrees they want with online education programs. Online colleges allow students to gain a degree or certification without sacrificing family time or a current job. Working mothers can do their homework with their kids. As one woman put it, doing homework together allows you to be a role model for your children.
The Department of Education finds almost three times as many women than men enrolling in college. At one online school, nearly half the 48,000 students are moms. That’s one reason many organizations are coming up with ways to help working women afford their education. There are grants through federal and state governments and private institutions. Some schools even have their own financial aid programs for single mothers.
To qualify for this financial aid, fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It’s used by all two and four year private and public schools to determine which students get funding. FAFSA forms are available online. Some federal grants are based on financial need, like Pell and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants. The Academic Competitive grant is merit based and the National SMART grant is for students pursuing a specific degree, like math or engineering.
Your state is also a resource for money for college. Each state has its own eligibility requirements and application process for grants. For example, New York awards up to $5,000 to eligible residents. Your state’s government website should have a list of State Higher Education Agencies.
If you work, ask your employer about tuition reimbursement programs. Some companies will pay your college tuition, especially if the courses will make you a more valuable employee. Online college may also be a selling point to your employer, since you can study on your time instead taking time off work for school. Also check to see if your company takes part in the corporate connection program. It’s a partnership with organizations and businesses that offers participants a 10% tuition discount for their employees.
There are websites that will help you search for financial aid or scholarships. Your online college may also offer its own scholarship program. Scholarships for online students may be based on academics, community service, and work experience and essay skills.
Working mothers are going back to school in droves, many taking advantage of the single mothers grants available. The convenience of being able to study on your own time appeals to students trying to balance a family, a job and school. With the number of working mothers enrolling in college, the government and schools are trying to find ways to make education affordable. Find out if you qualify for a scholarships for single moms and take that next step to a better financial future.
Return to Educational Resources
7 Comments on Financial Aid | Financial Aid For Moms Learning Online »
April 8, 2011
Belie @ 12:42 am:
You will not lose financial aid if you just fail one class. So long as you keep your school's minimum percentage of passing (usually between 60-75% of your classes need to be passed) and you have a passing GPA (usually about a 2.0) you will not receive any penalty for biology. You should be able to find all of the specifics for your school on their website in the FAQs of the financial aid website because they get this question a lot.
May 20, 2011
Kelly @ 12:35 am:
if u didn't meet the requirements for financial aid (for ex. maintain "c" grade average or better / be enrolled in 15 units aka full time) then you get suspended. what you need to do is "make up" for it, meaning, the following semester you pretty much need to go at it w/o the help of financial aid and then the following semester after that you're good. only thing u still receive is fee waivers if you're a us citizen. well… that was my case (lbcc)
May 23, 2011
Twitter @ 10:41 am:
PM announces financial aid for injured Greater Noida farmers –
June 16, 2011
imbriumoon @ 9:25 pm:
http://www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov/clcf/attachments/findingmoney4college.ppt
http://www.studentaid.ed.gov
http://www.asla.info
June 29, 2011
Ashlen Burtz @ 6:25 am:
In the article, “Financial Aid: How it works,” this article talks about how the majority of full time college students end up receiving financial aid and how financial aid works. In the article I learned the federal government or the colleges use formulas to analyze the families financial circumstances and compare them to other families financial circumstances. I learned that there is three types of financial aid and that is grants and scholarships, loans, and work. I also, learned that colleges with higher costs can be affordable. For example, If the college cost $25,000, you can be eligible for $20,000 in aid. The article made me think about how I can get financial aid and how I'll be able to afford going to college. Financial aid is a big help for college students and lets college students go to any college they want without worrying so much about the cost.
July 10, 2011
CalDem @ 11:29 pm:
Thanks Steven, I was a UC professor and student, and I know the burden of the “financial aid.” I came out of UCLA with quite a bit of loan debt.
I don't think this fee increase is going to improve financial aid. However, a different fee increase that increased the top end tuition even more while increasing financial aid (actual aid-meaning grants) could lessen the effect these tuition increases on lower income households.
So I agree with everybody-more financial aid !- but the actual way that can be done is pushing for even higher tuition and insisting that the increase be directed towards grants etc. The only other way to get more financial aid is to increase taxes in the State (which would be great if they are progressive taxes). And that seems even less politically likely than getting the Regents on board with a plan.
July 30, 2011
akashrooms420 @ 2:37 pm:
You can always complete a FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov) and that's how you apply for financial aid. You are still eligible for the Pell Grant and federal student loans. Those are the two types of aid, the school cannot take away from you. The Pell Grant is an entitlement award. That means if you qualify you are entitled to get it no matter when you apply. Now you may have passed the deadline if the school had their own money they were giving away in addition to federal aid but you can still apply for all financial aid. There is no deadline to apply for federal financial aid (Pell Grant and student loans). The FAFSA expires June 30 every year so you can apply any time in the school year.