Information regarding financial aid for Single Mothers that are attending college. This includes grants and scholarships from the government as well as from private organizations.
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.
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Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
The FAFSA4caster www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/index.htm provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal student financial assistance.
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Campus-Based 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 studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/forms.jsp for filing a FAFSA.
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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) and PLUS Loans (for parents).
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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.
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FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
1. Before Beginning an FAFSA: gather required documents and other information ahead of time.
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):
• Apply online at 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.
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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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
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.
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Loan Forgiveness
Under certain circumstances, the federal government will cancel all or part of an educational loan.
To qualify, you must:
• perform volunteer work: AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA)
• perform military service: National Guard
• teach: Perkins Loan, Mississippi sprecial program
• practice medicine in certain types of communities: Equal Justice Works, National Health Service Corps, etc.
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See eligibility
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Raise The Nation
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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
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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
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The Directory of Financial Aid for Women
by Gail A. Schlachter
ISBN 1588411672
560 pages
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.
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Never Too Late: Entering College as a Non-Traditional Student
by Kelly Kennedy from www.singlemotherresources.com
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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.
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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
• The student guide - financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Financial Aid site for more information
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Free Grants for Junior College in California
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.
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Our Families Our Future
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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
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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.
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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, organization or corporation itself. This listing does not purport to be a listing of all organizations & corporations that are providing relief in the affected area. Additionally, there may be organizations providing relief in the affected area that are not accepting donations at this time. 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.
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