Do you feel like your life somehow was put on-hold the day you became a mother? Do you wish to finish your education even if you know you can not afford it right now? Do you constantly feel you could achieve so much more and earn a lot more if you only had a degree? Do you often wish you can both be a successful career woman and a mother? Do you wish you had the means to provide for your child and complete college at the same time? Well, I’ve got news for you, you can stop tormenting yourself with those feelings and thoughts. There is a way, in fact, there’s more than one way to help you. Single mothers who can’t afford to finish their education because all their money is needed to support herself and her child- have an alternative. That is, scholarships for single moms like you!

Yes, there are scholarships for single mothers who want to finish their education. But just make sure it is a reliable source and steer clear of scams like the Obama grant. On a lighter note, various private and government groups cater to people who need financial aid especially when it comes to education. To aid single mothers among other things is one of the objectives of these groups. To name a few:

The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program

This program was made in honor of an incredible woman to help adult women who have financial difficulties, it provides scholarships for single moms returning to school. They are all about empowering women and so they provide more than college scholarships, to know more please go here: http://www.rankinfoundation.org/

Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation for Low-Income Women and Children

For 2011, this Foundation is dedicated to help women with children who want to complete education or get training. This organization helps these women not only achieve personal success but improve the living circumstances of her children.

Women’s Opportunity Awards

This is a private organization helping single mothers as well as other women and children. They give scholarship for single moms. This is given by Soroptimist whose greatest desire is to give a better life for women and children through the provision of resources that will help improve their education, skills and job opportunities.

Indeed, there are quite a number of scholarships for single moms out there. I’ve only just named a few. I know it sounds amazing that there are private organizations helping single mothers but they are real and they can help you.

Mothers, especially single mothers, find it difficult to balance the things that need to be done at home and things that need to be done in school or at work. Majority of all instances, home always comes first, leaving work and school tasks to suffer. In a time of financial hardships, paying for college while putting food on the table and paying the bills is almost an impossible feat. But single mothers need not worry anymore. Going back to college will be easy as pie with the different grants and scholarships for single mothers offered by various organizations and the government.

I Know What a Scholarship is, but What is a Grant?

Grants are a form of award or financial assistance, offered to both individuals, groups, companies and organizations. They are not to be confused with loans or free money, as erroneously pitched in infomercials. A grant’s primary purpose is to transport a thing of value from a federal agency to a recipient in order to carry out a public support or incentive authorized by a law of the United States.

Can a Single Mother be Eligible for These Grants?

Yes, a single mother can be eligible for grants by applying as an individual. By signing up as an individual, they must sign on their own behalf, and not on behalf of the government, group, or organization. They are also expected to comply with the requirements and assurances that come with the application, and they can only avail of the grants that are open to individuals.

Different Opportunities Make for Different Doors

With single mothers in dire need of financial aid, scholarship providers recognize that single parents need help if they are to pay for school. That is why there are many grants and scholarships for single mothers, created specifically to help make a college education more accessable and affordable. Scholarship providers are making it possible for single moms to create a more secure financial future for them and for their children.

Here are some of the scholarship opportunities and programs that one may look into:

The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund

Single parent scholarships are awarded to single eligible parents who are residents of Arkansas.

The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program

The Jeanette Rankin Foundation has awarded over 500 scholarships to women who want to attend college since 1978. Applications are available from the month of November to February. This scholarship may not directly target single moms, but they would be the subset of the “single women 35 and older” category.

Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation for Low Income Women and Children

The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, which was established in 2003, aims to carry on Congressman Mink’s commitments: educational access, support and opportunity for low income women, especially mothers and educational enrichment for children.

W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship

Doris Buffer, president and founder, announced in March 2007 a new scholarship program of the Sunshine Lady Foundation for the sons and daughters of the Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP). People at WISP believe that students who are willing to learn, work hard, motivated and capable should have the opportunity at earning a college degree. These scholarships are for those who show the greatest promise of success, in financial need and have education as their number one priority.

President Obama stated “We need to put a college education within reach of every American. That’s the best investment we can make in our future.” These college grants and scholarships for single moms are the best possible way for a mom to earn a degree, thereby securing their own financial future, as well as her family’s.