The population of single parents is growing everyday and so is the demand for financial assistance, especially in the type of economy we currently find ourselves living in. One source of financial help, grants, are quite popular because you don’t have to pay them back and single parents nowadays need that extra financial comfort.
There is a lot of confusion between grants and scholarships. These are not the same things. The quick and dirty difference is that grants are usually need-based awards and scholarships are usually merit-based awards. Some people use the two words interchangeably, but there is a difference.
It’s true that a single parent experiences, alone, a lot of difficult issues when it comes to providing food and shelter for their children. Providing love, nurturing and attention doesn’t cost anything but can be limited when funds are tight and a single parent needs to work longer hours to make ends meet. A child’s health and higher education create even more financial pressure on single parents. Single parent assistance programs such as grants and in some cases, scholarships, can ease these pressures and worries.
There are several government agencies that provide single parent grants and scholarships and in this article I would just like to offer a couple of tips when you start to apply for a grant or scholarship Remember, the application process will be difficult and frustrating at times, try not to let it get you down. Grants are popular and many apply, try to think of the benefits you and your child will receive. Most of the personal grants out there are school related however.
Web Sweepstake Scholarships
If you are looking for scholarships, there are some web-based ones like the 10k Scholarship for Working Adults. The 10k Scholarship is basically a giveaway scholarship contest where you fill out the quick application and you get entered into a monthly draw. This is great for single moms wanting to go back to school (single dads can apply too!). For dads, there is even a special 10k Scholarship for Dads available to apply for too. These are NOT grants and they are not your regular need-good-grades-to-apply scholarships. Simply fill out the application and you’re in for a chance of winning.
Grants
In terms of federal grants for students, Pell Grants are the big ones. While, Pell Grants may be traditionally be associated with college students, they can be very helpful single parent grants that want to get back into school and further their education. In today’s job market if you are better qualified, you will be able to get a job that pays better. In order to receive a Pell grant you will have to qualify and show a financial need based on low income and provide documented proof.
Pell single parent grants offer a second chance at securing an advanced education to be better qualified for a potential employer. This will increase your chances of being hired and earning a more substantial income relieving a single parent of some of the stress related to finances.
One source of funding that many people forget about are part time jobs. If you have some extra time, you might want to look at getting some part time work. Many universities offer part time jobs to students who are financially needy. These programs are sometimes called “work study” programs. What makes these interesting is that these jobs are sometimes related to something you may be studying. If you can’t spare the time to work a part time job at (or off) school, the next option is to find some sort of work at home job. There are plenty of work at home jobs on the web. You can work filling out surveys, write articles for web developers who need content (places like textbroker.com hire people like you all the time!), or find some other way of pulling in some extra cash online. No matter what you choose, there is some sort of online job you can do from the comfort of your home, so look into it if you can.
More About Scholarships
Now when it comes to scholarships, you typically need to have good grades. Scholarships may be offered by schools, states, the federal government, employers, and even private companies. When you want to get a scholarship, you should first start your search with a college (try your local community college if you are not going to college yet) financial aid office. There is usually a big list of scholarships there. Your next step will be to look online for some web-based scholarship searches. One helpful site is scholarships.com. You can actually find a fair amount of online scholarships. Some of these are your traditional scholarships and other programs are giveaway contests scholarships. As mentioned above, the most popular giveaway scholarship aimed at single mothers is called the 10k Scholarship for Moms. You fill out their free scholarship form (takes a minute or two) and you get entered into their monthly 10k draw. If you win, you get 10k towards your school. Easy and simple. You can find other programs like this online too!
Please note that no matter what scholarships or grants you apply for, you should fill out the FAFSA application. This is the government federal student aid form that all students who want to apply for grants, scholarships, or student loans must fill out. Many schools and private organizations offer addition grants and scholarships, but you will likely need to apply for federal student aid via the FAFSA and qualify for financial help first.
