Articles & Tips
Listing of Top Online Schools
Never Too Late: Entering College as a Non-Traditional Student -
by
Kelly Kennedy
from
singlemotherresources.com
- If you are single
mom and found that you had to give up going back to school to care for your
children, you aren’t the only one. Single women do it all the time in order to
raise their children. However as children grow up and go to school themselves,
single mothers want the chance as well to go back to school. Whether it is to
finish where they left off or get continuing education. Sometimes its not as
easy to make the transition back to school if you are older but they are plenty
others doing the same thing.
Preparing for Your Education
Education
beyond high school can give you choices that may not otherwise be possible, open
doors to better paying positions, and give you the opportunity to do the things
you enjoy most. By advancing your education, you can expand your possibilities
and increase your career choices.
Find out
what you need to do to prepare for education beyond high school.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/preparing.jsp
The
FAFSA4caster
http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/index.htm provides students with an early
estimate of their eligibility for federal student financial assistance.
FAFSA - Free Application for
Federal Student Aid
1. Before
Beginning an FAFSA: gather required documents and other
information
ahead of time.
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
2. Fill out the application: steps that ask about you, your financial
information, your school plans, and more.
3. View your results online: check the status of your application,
make
corrections to a processed FAFSA.
FAFSA Filing
You may
choose any of these three methods to file a Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA):
http://www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/fafsa_options.html
·
Apply online at
http://www.FAFSA.ed.gov (recommended) or
·
Complete a PDF
FAFSA (Note: PDF FAFSAs must be mailed for processing) or
·
Request a paper
FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID
(1-800-433-3243) or 1-319-337-5665.
Tips on Eligibility, After the
Application, The Award Letter, Work Study, & When
a loan is needed. You need to
understand everything during this process of
applying for financial aid.
If you are interested in
gaining skills in the expanding field of digital media,
this scholarship is for you. The growing list of digital media careers includes web designer, audio/video engineer, and multimedia developer.
Digital Media Scholarship
The Directory of Financial Aids for Women
By Gail A. Schlachter
ISBN 1588411672
560 pages
Directory of Financial Aids for Women 2007-2009: A List Of: Scholarships, Fellowships, Loans, Grants, Awards, And Internships Available Primarily Or Exclusively ... (Directory of Financial Aids for Women)
, Hardbound, $45.00
If you are looking for financial aid for women, or know women who are, then this
is the directory for you. Here, in one place, are detailed descriptions of more
than 1,500 funding programs--representing billions of dollars in financial aid
set aside specifically for women. Some examples: $5,000 for high school women
athletes to go to college, thousands of dollars for women in study engineering
or chemistry, up to $5,000 for older women to start or go back to college,
$14,000 per year to women for graduate study in the biological sciences, $18,000
for Hispanic-American women to work on a Ph.D. dissertation. And the list goes
on and on.
If you are interested in studying computer-related fields in college, this scholarship is for you.
Computer Career Scholarship
FEDERAL
STUDENT AID PROGRAMS
U.S. Department
of Education
In 1980, the U.S.
Department of Education was created by bringing
together offices from several other departments.
Its original directive remains its mission today —
to ensure equal access to education and to promote
educational excellence throughout the nation.
Phone:1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
TTY: 1-800-437-0833
Fax: 1-202-401-0689
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Website:
www.ed.gov
Financial Aid from the U.S.
Department of Education
If you are interested in receiving federal student
aid, review the government website for financial aid at
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
GRANTS
Grants,
unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. Click the links below to learn more
about grant programs available for eligible students pursuing a postsecondary
education.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/grants.jsp
NEW* - Teacher Education Assistance for College and
Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant)http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp
Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created
the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
Program that provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to
teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students
from low-income families. If, after reading all of the information on this fact
sheet, you are interested in learning more about the TEACH Grant Program, you
should contact the financial aid office at the college where you will be
enrolled starting with the 2008-2009 school year.
Effective
Dates: The first TEACH Grants will be awarded to eligible students for the
2008-2009 school year.
Federal PELL Grant
A Federal
Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are awarded
usually only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a
professional degree. (In some cases, however, a student enrolled in a
post-baccalaureate teacher certification program might receive a Pell Grant.)
Pell Grants are considered a foundation of federal financial aid, to which aid
from other federal and nonfederal sources might be added. How much can I get?
The maximum Pell Grant award for the 2008-09 award year (July 1, 2008 to June
30, 2009) is $4,731. The maximum can change each award year and depends on
program funding. The amount you get, though, will depend not only on your
financial need, but also on your costs to attend school, your status as a
full-time or part-time student, and your plans to attend school for a full
academic year or less.
If I am
eligible, how will I get the Pell Grant money? Your school can apply Pell Grant
funds to your school costs, pay you directly (usually by check), or combine
these methods. The school must tell you in writing how much your award will be
and how and when you'll be paid. Schools must disburse funds at least once per
term (semester, trimester, or quarter). Schools that do not use semesters,
trimesters, or quarters must disburse funds at least twice per academic year.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellGrants.jsp?tab=funding
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
program is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant
recipients with the lowest expected family contributions (EFCs) will be
considered first for a FSEOG. Just like Pell Grants, the FSEOG does not have to
be repaid.
How much can I get? You can receive between $100 and $4,000
a year, depending on when you apply, your financial need, the funding at the
school you're attending, and the policies of the financial aid office at your
school.
If I am eligible, how will I get the FSEOG money? If you're
eligible, your school will credit your account, pay you directly (usually by
check), or combine these methods. Your school must pay you at least once per
term (semester, trimester, or quarter). Schools that do not use semesters,
trimesters, or quarters must disburse funds at least twice per academic year.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/FSEOG.jsp?tab=funding
Academic Competitiveness Grant
The Academic Competitiveness Grant was made available for
the first time for the 2006-2007 school year for first year college students who
graduated from high school after January 1, 2006, and for second year college
students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005. The Academic
Competitiveness Grant award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.
How Much Can A Student Receive? An Academic Competitiveness
Grant will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up
to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study to full-time students who
are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who had successfully completed a
rigorous high school program, as determined by the state or local education
agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. Second year students must
maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/AcademicGrants.jsp?tab=funding
The National Science &
Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant)
The
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant, also known as
the National Smart Grant is available during the third and fourth years of
undergraduate study to full-time students who are eligible for the Federal Pell
Grant and who are majoring in physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics,
technology, or engineering or in a foreign language determined critical to
national security. The student must also be enrolled in the courses necessary to
complete the degree program and to fulfill the requirements of the intended
eligible major in addition to maintaining a cumulative grade point average (GPA)
of at least 3.0 in coursework required for the major. The National SMART Grant
award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.
How Much
Can A Student Receive? A National SMART Grant will provide up to $4,000 for each
of the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who
are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who are majoring in physical, life, or
computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering or in a foreign
language determined critical to national security.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/SmartGrants.jsp?tab=funding
Institutional Grants
There are
other grants in addition to ours. Colleges provide institutional grants to help
make up the difference between college costs and what a family can be expected
to contribute through income, savings, loans, and student earnings.
Other
institutional grants, known as merit awards or merit scholarships, are awarded
on the basis of academic achievement. Some merit awards are offered only to
students whose families demonstrate financial need; others are awarded without
regard to a family's finances.
Some
grants come with special privileges or obligations. You'll want to find out
about the types of grants awarded by each college you are considering.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/InstitutionalGrant.jsp?tab=funding
Campus-Based Financial Aid
The
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS),
and Federal Perkins Loan programs are called campus-based programs because
they're administered directly by the financial aid office at each participating
school. Not all schools participate in all three programs. Check with your
school's financial aid office to find out which programs they participate in.
How much
aid you receive from each of these programs depends on your financial need, on
the amount of other aid you receive, and on the availability of funds at your
college or career school. Unlike the Federal Pell Grant Program, which provides
funds to every eligible student, the campus-based programs provide a certain
amount of funds for each participating school to administer each year. When the
money for a program is gone, no more awards can be made from that program for
that year. So, make sure you apply for federal student aid as early as you can.
Each school sets its own deadlines for campus-based funds, and those deadlines
are usually earlier than the Department of Education's deadline for filing a
FAFSA.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/campusaid.jsp
FEDERAL LOANS
Stafford Loans (FFELs and Direct Loans)
U.S.
Department of Education administers the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)
Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Both
the FFEL and Direct Loan programs consist of what are generally known as
Stafford Loans (for students)
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/studentloans.jsp
PLUS Loans (Parent Loans)
Parents
can borrow a PLUS Loan to help pay your education expenses if you are a
dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half time in an eligible
program at an eligible school. PLUS Loans are available through the Federal
Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan
(Direct Loan) Program. Your parents can get either loan, but not both, for you
during the same enrollment period. They also must have an acceptable credit
history.
How do my
parents get a loan?
For a
Direct PLUS Loan, your parents must complete a Direct PLUS Loan application and
promissory note, contained in a single form that you get from your school’s
financial aid office.
For more information on the
terms and conditions of Parent PLUS Loans, click here:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/parentloans.jsp
PLUS Loans for Graduate and
Professional Degree Students
Graduate
and professional degree students are now eligible to borrow under the PLUS Loan
Program up to their cost of attendance minus other estimated financial
assistance in both the FFEL and Direct Loan Program. The terms and conditions
applicable to Parent PLUS Loans also apply to Graduate/Professional PLUS loans.
These requirements include a determination that the applicant does not have an
adverse credit history, repayment beginning on the date of the last disbursement
of the loan, and a fixed interest rate of 8.5 percent in the FFEL program and
7.9 percent in the Direct Loan program. Applicants for these loans are required
to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They also must
have applied for their annual loan maximum eligibility under the Federal
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program before applying for a
Graduate/Professional PLUS loan.
For more information about
Direct PLUS Loans for graduate and professional degree students
click here:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PlusLoansGradProfstudents.jsp
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/funding/PlusLoansQA.pdf.
.
CANCELLATION/DEFERMENT OPTIONS
Cancellation/Deferment Options
for Teachers
If you're
a teacher serving in a low-income or subject-matter shortage area, it might be
possible for you to cancel or defer your student loans.
http://www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/tc
Canceling
a Perkins Loan
If you
have a loan from the Federal Perkins Loan Program, you might be eligible for
loan cancellation for full-time teaching at a low-income school or teaching in
certain subject areas. Find out more here. You can also qualify for deferment
for these qualifying teaching services. Check with the school that made your
Perkins Loan for more information.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/cancelperk.jsp?tab=repaying
Cancellation for Stafford Loans
If you
received a Stafford Loan on or after October 1, 1998, and you teach full time
for five consecutive years in a low-income school, you might be eligible to have
a portion of the loan cancelled. This applies to FFEL Stafford Loans, Direct
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and in some cases, Consolidation Loans.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/cancelstaff.jsp?tab=repaying
Stafford Loan Deferment/Forbearance Provisions
If you
have a FFEL or Direct Stafford Loan and you're teaching full time in a teacher
shortage area, you might be eligible for deferment (postponement of repayment)
if you borrowed before July 1, 1993. For more information, click here
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/deferffel.jsp?tab=repaying.
If you
borrowed on or after July 1, 1993, you might be eligible for forbearance (a
temporary postponement or reduction).
Douglas Scholarship Reduced Service
If you
have a Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship, you might be eligible for reduced
service obligations. (Note: These scholarships were last awarded in 1995-96.)
Recipients of the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship may reduce the years of
service they must perform by teaching in a shortage area.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/douglas.jsp?tab=repaying
COMMUNITY COLLEGE NETWORK
Financial Aid for the
California Community Colleges Network
Everything you want to know about financial aid is available in the financial
aid office at your local California Community College campus.
http://www.icanaffordcollege.com/index.cfm?navid=47
PRIVATE
FOUNDATIONS
Our Families Our Future
is a Wyoming non-profit organization that helps low-income single
mothers on their path to economic self-sufficiency. Our CLIMB
Wyoming programs train and place women in demand occupations
and careers that earn livable wages. Almost 40% of single mothers in
Wyoming are living at or below the Federal poverty level, but the staff
and partners of Our Families Our Future are working to reverse this
statistic by empowering single mothers to improve their lives and the
lives of their children.
Our intervention model is
based on the Fleming Associates Young Parent Program
which was established in Laramie County in 1986 to meet the educational,
work and life skills needs of low-income single parents. This is a
nationally acclaimed paradigm for moving disadvantaged single mothers
out of poverty.
Our Families Our Future
1001 W. 31st Street
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
Email:
info@ourfamiliesourfuture.org
Phone: (307) 778-0094
Fax: (307) 778-0095
Website:
www.ourfamiliesourfuture.org
Raise The Nation
Raise The Nation® celebrates
independence through education by awarding grants and scholarships to single
parent women and their children.
The mission at Raise The Nation is
to provide economic support to single parent women who want to continue with
their education or repay student loans. We believe, through education, single
parent women will be able to achieve independence for their families and will be
successful in their goal of raising the nation — their children.
Raise The Nation provides money
directly to the Colleges, Universities and student loan providers for the
purpose of helping these women complete and pay for their education. We also
offer assistance for childcare, books and other basic needs. Scholarships are
awarded twice a year and distribution of funds is directly related to our
success in fundraising.
Raise The Nation
P.O. Box 8058
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198
Phone: 505-265-1201
Website:
www.RaiseTheNation.org
SUNSHINE LADY Foundation Scholarship Program
- The SUNSHINE LADY Foundation, Inc. is a private family foundation established
in the fall of 1996 through the vision and determination of founder and
President, Doris Buffett. Ms. Buffett has worked for many years on behalf of
battered women and their children, as an advocate, fund-raiser, board member and
community organizer. A primary focus of the Foundation is to continue, develop
and enhance efforts to end domestic violence. Additional funding priorities of
the Foundation include primary education, scholarships and families in crisis.
About the Scholarship:
The
Women's Independence Scholarship Program (WISP) was created in 1999
to help formerly battered women overcome barriers to the education necessary for
their becoming employable and financially stable. The primary intent is to help
single mothers with young children who have the greatest financial challenges
(childcare costs, etc.) to gain work skills so they can support their families.
Our funds target women who are in desperate financial situations and absolutely
must have both an education and our funds to assist them.
About Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, the applicant must be a direct
survivor of domestic violence (partner abuse). While we abhor abuse from any
source, our effort is in assisting those women who are survivors of partner
abuse.
They are now accepting applications for scholarships. More information on
www.sunshineladyfdn.org
or their FAQ at:
www.sunshineladyfdn.org/faq.html
4900 Randall Parkway
Suite H
Wilmington , NC 28403
Phone: 910-397-7742
Fax: 910-397-0023
Toll-Free: 866-255-7742
Soroptimist.org - Women's Opportunity Awards
- Many Women’s
Opportunity Award recipients have overcome enormous obstacles in their quest for
a better life, including poverty, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse.
The Women's Opportunity Awards begin at the local level. Applications will
then be forwarded to the closest local participating Soroptimist club. Forward
the application to the region contact by December 1st. This will enable it to be
forwarded to a local club before the December 15th club deadline.
Website:
www.soroptimist.org/woa/woa.asp
Kazimour Scholarships -
for non-traditional students - Dr. Kim
Kazimour and ANTSHE sponsor the annual
Kazimour Scholarship. Awards of three $500
Awards, two for undergraduate students
(two-year and four-year) and one for a
graduate student are awarded each spring
semester. The deadline is November 30.
Website:
www.antshe.org/kazimour.htm
SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCE SITES
Free Scholarship Search
Website:
www.FastWeb.com
Website:
CollegeBoard.com
- this online tool to help you locate
scholarships, internships, grants, and loans that
match your education level, talents, and
background. Complete the brief questionnaire and
Scholarship Search will find potential
opportunities from our database of more than
2,300 sources of college funding,
totaling
nearly $3 BILLION in available aid!
Direct Stafford Loans:
DirectLoan/index.html
College is Possible
-
www.CollegeIsPossible.org
National Center for Education Statistics
-
part of U.S. Department of education
Website:
nces.ed.gov
Resources for back to college
- is a resource site for the adult
returning to college.
Website:
www.Back2College.com
Here you will find helpful links to
general info on all 50 states as well as organizations. www.50States.com
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/
- The WIC program for women, infants & children.
They offer variety of helps through local agencies & offices with
toll free number & much more.
Free Grants for Junior College in California
Website:
www.icanaffordcollege.com - The Legislature and Governor set aside money
from within the community college budget to increase awareness about financial
aid opportunities and to hire additional staff to provide students with free
one-on-one help identifying those opportunities and applying for them. This
effort is aimed at low-income high school students, currently enrolled community
college students, and other low-income Californians.
Community college financial aid offices historically have been under-funded, and
have not had the resources to make sure that all eligible students were aware of
the opportunities available to them. The offices also have not had the staff to
fully support the application process. However, the funding from this new
initiative is helping the campuses reach and assist greater numbers of students.
NOTE: The
listing of or omission of an institution, organization or corporation on this Web site does not refer to
programmatic capability nor does it confer any official status, approval, or
endorsement of the institution or organization itself. This listing does not
purport to be a listing of all organizations and corporations. It is
not the purpose of this Web site to make, or enable to be made, any
representation to the public concerning the organizations listed. This
listing is for informational purposes only. Any contributions or submissions you choose to
make from links on this Web site are at your sole discretion.
