20 Best Programs to Get Paid to Go to School as Single Mothers

Surprising but true – you can really get paid to go to school as a single mother!

This article explains as many as 20 different ways and the legit companies/programs that really pay single moms to go to school.

 

Importance

John Lennon, a member of the famous band known as The Beatles was a gifted songwriter and lyricist in his own right.

He profoundly said one time that “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Many of us can agree with that statement and also have experienced firsthand its reality.

We have made plans for our lives, which may include getting an education, starting a life with someone special, bringing a family into the world, etc.

Unfortunately, life intrudes on those plans, and we have to go to plan B or sometimes even further on through the alphabet.

This can be especially true for young mothers in our society who find themselves, for a variety of reasons, a single parent.

Being a parent today is challenging enough but to have that responsibility rest on the shoulders of one individual makes the situation even more complex and sometimes difficult.

Added to the mix is the possibility that the single mother had her dreams and aspirations and now finds her life in a holding pattern due to her role and responsibility as a single parent.

Fortunately, she lovingly embraces this role and cares for the blessings of children in her life.

The desire to provide a quality life for them and enhance her own life is a priority and therefore she wants to continue with her dream that now includes her children.

Being the insightful woman that she is she realizes that education is a critical component of making dreams come true.

Let us, therefore, take a look at the way that a single mother can be paid to go to school and the companies that will support her in that endeavor.

 

20 Best Programs & Ways to Get Paid to Go to School as Single Mothers

 

1. FASA 

When looking for financial resources to go back to school the first action step is to fill out the FASA form.

FASA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is a required prerequisite to applying for financial aid to attend college or graduate school.

The first step in your journey can begin by accessing Studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

 

2. Search

As a single mother, you are well aware that you need to take action for yourself and your children.

You realize that people want to be helpful but that there is only so many others can do.

Searching online and going after what you want is what you do best.

Your next possible action step would be to conduct your research and it can begin by accessing www.signup.collegeboard.org/scholarsip-search/.

 

3. Scholarships 

Being a single mother the family’s budget is fairly tight.

You don’t necessarily want to take out a loan, so the best option is to pursue scholarships that are normally awarded without the need for repayment.

To research possible scholarships, you can click here Scholarships.com.

 

4. Department of Labor 

Another resource to get paid to go to school is by accessing funding or helpful websites offered by helping entities.

One of those entities is the federal government and you can research possible scholarships by going to Careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx.

 

5. School Counselors 

Another potential pool of helping professionals that can provide insight and guidance in your community would be school counselors.

These individuals are specially trained to help guide and provide insight to students to promote their career path.

By reaching out and contacting school counselors, they might help you outline your journey, be a resource themselves, and provide other resources that you can utilize to get paid to go back to school.

 

6. Teachers and Coaches 

Also, within the educational system are teachers and coaches who have an affinity for students and individuals who wish to better themselves by continuing with their education.

As a single mother, there is no way that you are timid.

You are a fighter and as such will be confident and bold to approach individuals to pursue those goals and objectives that you have for you and your children.

As part of the teacher and coach’s pool that you can solicit advice and guidance from can also include any community colleges or other colleges or universities in your geographical area.

 

7. Organizations 

Another quality resource that you can interact with within your community is organizations that have a mission and vision of serving others in their community.

In particular, one dynamic women’s association is known as Soroptimists.

The membership of Soroptimists is comprised of strong, capable, and focused businesswomen in the community who gather together to meet not only to network but also to better their community and serve women as well.

The particular chapter in your community may have a program in which that may provide a scholarship to you to further your dreams of providing for your family as well as pursuing a career.

 

8. State Scholarships 

In pursuing scholarships, it is important to not overlook other possibilities within your region.

Those other possibilities could include any local grants or scholarships that are available through perhaps a community foundation or also looking at the state level for scholarship opportunities.

You can access https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html.

 

9. Caring for Children 

As a single mother, your paramount concern is your children.

When involved in all of these processes, sometimes interviews and appointments need to be made and kept.

Does the question arise of how to care for your children when occasions present themselves?

It is important to remember that there are a variety of resources in your community that stand ready to help you with your needs.

Of course, you can ask relatives to care for the children while you are away.

Another possibility is to reach out to a local not-for-profit that may operate a child development center.

There are also child development centers that contract with the state and have programs that will subsidize the care of children for working parents or parents that are going to school.

A good way to approach this challenge would be to talk to those particular facilities, engage them as to how to go about accessing resources available, and perhaps register your child/children at the facility during these times when care is needed.

Each state most likely has its particular program.

Also See: How to Save Money as Single Moms & Sites to Get Grants For Single Mothers.

 

10. Applying

When applying for scholarships, most likely, each has its own set of guidelines and criteria.

This can all be a little bit overwhelming and may even require the writing of some sort of essay as to why you are applying and why your application should be considered.

After you have written your first draft, perhaps a good idea is to have someone proof the document for you to polish it and look for any potential grammar mistakes or spelling errors.

Also, by asking someone else to look at the essay you can ensure that your ideas are flowing well.

As an added tip, it is important not just to apply for one scholarship or loan but make an application to as many scholarship opportunities as possible.

 

 

11. Pell Grant 

The Pell Grant is the largest aid program for student loans offered by the government.

The maximum loan amount is $6,495 and is granted, through an application process, to the neediest of students.

The first step involves the submission of the FAFSA application.

To learn more about this benefit click here.

 

12. Scholly 

Scholly is a scholarship app that facilitates the student’s need for scholarships with this resource that matches your profile with scholarship possibilities.

The process begins by completing your student profile.

The algorithm of Scholly is then able to match your uniqueness, interests, and accomplishments with the scholarship database.

You can access more information about Scholly by clicking this link www.myscholly.com.

 

13. Federal Work-Study Grant 

Federal Work Study Grant is a program that offers part-time jobs for students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs.

These students must demonstrate a financial need and this provides an opportunity for them to earn money while attending school.

The program is administered by participating schools in the Federal work-study program.

The interested individual would contact the financial aid office within the school to find out about eligibility and participation in the program.

Click here to check out Federal Work Study Grant

 

14. CCAMPIS 

The Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program is a program that is provided for parents who are classified as low income that offers campus-based child care services.

The application takes into consideration the parent’s financial means which includes their income, need, resources available, and any family contribution levels.

Click here to check out CCAMPIS

 

15. Asherah Foundation Scholarship Program 

To be considered for the Asherah Foundation Scholarship Program the requesting individual needs to be over the age of 24, have a high school diploma or equivalent, intention to pursue education, have a career goal in place, and other criteria.

The successful awarding of this scholarship will provide $2500 annually to the successful recipient to cover expenses in conjunction with a four-year college degree, associate degree, vocational program, or another post-secondary opportunity.

Click here to check out Asherah Foundation Scholarship Program

 

16. Arizona BPW Foundation Annual Scholarship 

Arizona BPW Foundation Annual Scholarship awards several scholarships to women who are 21 years of age or older and are returning to school to further their career potential.

The applicant must attend a community college or trade school in Arizona and an essay about their career goals and the current financial situation needs to be submitted.

The award amounts vary and the deadline for making an application is June 18th.

Click here to check out Arizona BPW Foundation Annual Scholarship

 

17. Sister to Sister Scholarship 

The focus of the Sister to Sister Scholarship is primarily directed towards African-American women.

The applicant should be either starting college for the first time or returning to school after a hiatus.

The reason for their break in schooling could be due to personal demands or family challenges.

The applicant must be able to demonstrate their acceptance into a college or university and will be pursuing a Bachelor Of Arts Degree.

The individual must also be at least 21 years of age and will be asked to write an essay on a given topic.

There are two awards given through this scholarship program between the amounts of $500-$1000.

Click here to check out Sister to Sister Scholarship

 

18. Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship 

Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship focuses on presenting scholarships to women who are 35 years of age or older.

The applicant also must be classified as low income, a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, and are pursuing a bachelor’s, associate’s, or technical degree.

The selection process is based on the criteria of the applicants indicating what their goals are and plans for attaining those goals.

Also, the scholarship process will want to know how the individual will be giving back to the community.

The maximum award amount of this scholarship is $2000.

Click here to check out Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship

 

19. Helping Hands for Single Moms 

Helping Hands for Single Moms is a scholarship awarded specifically with a low-income single mother in mind.

The applicant must be a United States citizen and live in Maricopa County or the Phoenix metropolitan area within the state of Arizona.

They also must be legally single and not living with a partner.

Their academics should reflect a GPA of at least 2.8 and be carrying a nine-credit workload per semester.

Also, they must have at least one child residing in the household under the age of 11.

The scholarship awards vary in amounts.

Click here to check out Helping Hands for Single Moms

 

20. Live Your Dream Awards Program 

Live Your Dream Awards Program has a deadline for applications that need to be submitted by November 15.

This scholarship is awarded to women who are sole financial contributors to the household and provide for their dependents.

Their background should be a story about overcoming a variety of obstacles in their lives such as domestic violence, poverty, drug, or alcohol abuse.

The sponsor association of these scholarships is Soroptimists and the applicant should live in a geographical area where Soroptimists have a presence.

The process involves the provision of a local level award and local award winners then become eligible for regional awards.

These regional awards can range anywhere from $3000-$5000.

Additionally, regional award winners are then eligible to win international awards and those awards are capped at $10,000.

The application process begins 1 August of each calendar year.

Click here to check out Live Your Dream Awards Program

 

Personal Story

I have the privilege of being a neighbor to a single mom.

I admit that the fatherly instinct within me wishes to do what I can for them as it relates to providing what little talents or resources I have.

However, I sometimes wonder if my actions and concerns are misplaced.

The reality is that she is a very capable woman and mother with her whole world being wrapped up in providing, protecting, and loving her son along with juggling her career.

All that to say is that single parents, especially single mothers, are parents that seemingly have another “gear” that can be kicked into when caring for their family.

Check out the following for more ways moms can make money:

• Best Work For Moms Working From Home
• Best Side Work & Hustles for Pregnant Moms
• Best Money Making Jobs for Homeschooling Moms
• Best Money Earning Side Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms
• Best Yet Lazy Money Earning Ways Moms Can Make Money

 

Getting Paid to Attend School as Single Moms FAQs

 

How Many Single Mothers Are There in America?

According to Wikipedia, there are about 13.6 million single parents raising over 21 million children. And out of this number, 80% of single parents are mothers.

The highest percentage of single mothers by state (top four), from highest to lowest, are:

• Louisiana
• Georgia
• Texas
• District of Columbia

 

How Many Single Fathers Are There in America?

According to VeryWellFamily.com, one out of every single parent home reflects the single parent has being male.

 

You Can Do It

You are a single mom.

That is not a negative that is a positive because you are solely focused on the responsibility and dedication that you have to your children and wish to improve your own life for their sake as well as yours.

It is important to remember that there are resources, financially and otherwise, to assist you in being part of that village commitment.

 

Conclusion

Single parents and especially single mothers are not to be pitied or extended sympathy.

Single parents are to be admired.

The reality is that life is what happens to you when you are making other plans.

Single mothers fully embrace that reality and move forward with life to not only better themselves but ultimately the lives of their children.