Getting single parent scholarships and other funds for school
October 3, 2012
Chances are as a single parent you do not have a lot of expendable cash on-hand with which to pay for school. Most colleges charge upwards of a few thousand dollars per semester just for tuition, before adding on classes, books and other materials. There's also the opportunity cost to consider - during the hours spent in the classroom and sitting at home studying, there are plenty of others things you could be doing.
The balance, though, is determining if you really want that college degree. For those that are motivated enough to seek out educational opportunities and stick with the programs, there are plenty of single parent scholarships available to assist with funding the dream.
Don't get discouraged
One of the biggest reasons single mothers don't seek out college scholarships is that they are concerned about all the bad things that could happen if they went back to school. Some are worried about their children, others are afraid of fitting in socially and more still think there is no way they would be able to qualify for assistance. Because of these fears, many will simply never try to return to school.
"Being a non-traditional student going to school as an adult after having kids and a career is frightening," said Shael McDonald to The City Wire. She had been a paralegal for 15 years before getting motivated enough to go back to school and get a bachelor's degree at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. McDonald told the source that one of the biggest factors in her decision was college scholarships for single mothers, as well as the support of coworkers.
Look for the money
Those that believe there are no funds to be had are simply not looking. The number of scholarship and grant programs available to single parents is great, despite what some currently attending and interested students may think. Online resources are filled with rich rewards for those that take a little time and research possibilities online, according to MENA.
The other common factor in deterring scholarship applicants is the ease of the process. Sometimes completing an application can be as simple as a few hundred words and a stamp on an envelope, and in return single mothers could get a few thousands dollars in free money. What stops them may be fear to succeed, or maybe fear of failure, but overcoming apprehension is a necessary part of succeeding against any of life's challenges.
