Single Moms: Financial Aid for Mothers in Indiana
Indiana financial assistance
No one will ever say that raising a child alone is an easy task especially when you are on the real world situation of doing it all by yourself without your partner helping you to do so. Parenthood is always associated with hardships and struggles; this feeling is a lot harder for single parents since all of the worries and anxieties of raising a child is all in their responsibility alone. Life could be very tough for single mothers, they don’t have the freedom of choosing whether to be a stay at home mom and they don’t have someone to share the problems that common families have encountered. Being a single mother in the state of Indiana is not new that’s why the state has entitled many financial aids for single mothers in Indiana that a single mother can rely on.
Financial
The state of Indiana offers TANF which stands for Temporary Financial Assistance for Needy Families. It works with families to develop into self sufficient ones. Indiana TANF benefits offer a maximum of 60 months of assistance within one’s lifetime. Like other states, Indiana TANF also has its eligibility requirements; the primary requirement is that the applicant must be a US citizen; children also should be a citizen or should have eligible alien status, must have a social security number, earning less than a certain amount per month, children must be 18 years old or younger; if 18 years, should be legible full-time high school student. Pregnant women are also eligible for TANF during the month before their due date. To meet the eligibility requirements of TANF, families must meet the requirements established by the state law; that is, families must include a child and should be residents of Indiana , countable assets must be 2,000 dollars or less.
Food
Mother knows best! This is usually mothers are good with, that’s why mothers are very particular in choosing food to be fed by their children, they always wanted to give the best healthy and nutritious foods. Indiana knows this is very hard for mothers who don’t have enough money to buy and supply all the nutritious food for their children so they have this food stamp program known as SNAP or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides eligible applicants with food stamps to be exchanged by certain groceries. This program helps provide food assistance to people who have low income or no income at all that live in the US . In Indiana , the department that is responsible for handling this is the FSSA or Family and Social Services Administration. Indiana has their WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program which is effective for improving the access of acquiring healthy foods o improve healthier eating lifestyles. Another is with the help of food banks even when the money is stiff. For inquiry regarding the WIC Program, call 1-800-522-0874, or email [email protected].
also reach WIC program Indiana by mail:
Indiana WIC Program
Indiana State Department of Health
2 North Meridian Street, Section 8B
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Childcare
As a single mother, it is a tough problem on how or where to find a reliable person or affordable day care center to look for your child while you are out working. This is very hard since as a single mother, you have to and you must have a job in preparation for the future. In Indiana , the CCDF or Child Care Development Fund grants financial support for families who are working or enrolled in schools. Aspirants must then find a child care provider who meets the CCDF standards to qualify. You may call 1-800-299-1627 for child care resource and referral agency that serves your area.
Healthcare
Healthcare is always a worry for single mothers who are out of cash, kids often needs check ups to maintain their good health. Indiana Medicaid provide members through multiple delivery systems and to be reimbursed for the said services, providers must enroll with the Indiana Health Coverage Program (IHCP) to access Indiana Health Coverage programs, the link will show you quick references how to apply for this help http://provider.indianamedicaid.com/media/27802/quick_reference.pdf. Nevertheless, not everyone qualifies for Medicaid; but it is overwhelming to know that there are still other options like CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Program that provided assistance for uninsured children; it is also a part of Hoosier Healthwise, Indiana ’s health program. If you are interested in signing up click this link . Children of Indiana has its CHIP, therefore, there is also a program for adult which is HIP or Healthy Indiana Plan which offers affordable health insurance program for adults. For questions and inquiries, please contact 1-877-GET-HIP9 (1-877-438-4479).
Housing
The very basic requirement of any family is the housing; to have good and decent home. Single moms find a hard time paying for the rent, they have to work double time to manage all the expenses. With IHCDA or Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, it aims to help and support broad ranges of housing solutions from temporary to home ownership. Click this link to get access on IHCDA. Even you have home; heating is also a necessity in Indiana winter to find out how to qualify for the Indiana Low Income Home energy Assistance Program
Education.
Education is bound to enter the list of your priorities sooner whether you like it or not. Your child needs proper education and so were you. You also need to send yourself to school to achieve higher profession to level up your qualifications in finding a good job. FAFSA for one can help you a lot, click the link to get access on Indiana FAFSA http://www.fafsaonline.com/, the next one will help you on getting the codes you need in Indiana , but don’t just stop there, you may also ask schools or colleges what other grants or scholarships they may also have.
Please provide us feedback or leave your comment on the information provided above. Thank you.
Financial Aids for Single Mothers in Florida
Florida financial aid
As a single mother, you may be weighed down by several expenses that will cause you some financial difficulties. As a mother, you are frequently pondering about the future of your child or children and extensive financial planning will really assist you in keeping up with the financial requirements of raising a family. Always remember that you are not alone because there are many grants, loans and state assistance that you can get. It will need you to strictly comply with all their requirements which can be overwhelming for your part but the result is beyond satisfactory.
How to Get State Assistance
Applying for financial state assistance is the first thing that you should do and getting your applying is quite tricky. The key here is to breakdown the process to provide a step by step plan to ensure that you are trekking the right path.
- Step #1. - To start with, contact the Department of Human Services office to arrange an appointment. Some DHS offices will demand you to fill up some forms and require some paperwork before setting up an appointment. It is a necessity for you to comply with all the requirements that the department demands.
- Step #2. - If the appointment is already set, bring all the relevant documents that are required from you. Usually the caseworker will need birth certificates, social security cards, proof of utility bills, rent and residency and a record regarding your situation with your child or children’s father - whether he is deceased or you are divorce or separated. Also, if you have court orders related to child custody or support then those are important documentation as well.
- Step #3. - During your meeting with your case worker, he or she will give you a list of the documents that you need to get. Generally, you are given ten days for you to gather all the needed paperwork but it is important to tell your caseworker immediately if you have any problems in getting those documents.
- Step#4. - If you qualify, you will be informed by the caseworker before you leave the office. After that, you will receive notices in the mail concerning the progress of your application and the things that you need to comply with regards to the areas of your case. Read the letters carefully and call the DHS if there is something you don’t understand. It is important to ask questions and it is also advised to work on it as fast as you can. The faster the process the smoother it will be.
Available Financial Aids in the State of Florida
There are lots of financial support programs out there and the different states provide different plans that will specifically help single mothers financially.
ACCESS Florida Program.
The Florida Access Program is a program under the Department of Human Services in Florida. It provides single mothers the financial assistance they need with regards to housing, education, health care and many more. Keep in mind that you will need to fill out their forms and produce all the needed requirements for your application to be approved.
The requirements of some programs under ACCESS can be complied through the phone but if you are required to do a personal appearance in one of their offices then do not panic. Usually this is because of some documents that is needed to be verified or some information that needs more back up documentation.
There are numerous programs under ACCESS the SNAP program is an example. It provides a monthly cash allowance for single mothers for them to buy nutritious foods. Another is Medicaid. This program covers children under the age of 19 if your income passes the program’s limit. Your child will be registered to the Florida Child Health Check up Program where he or she will have regular dental care, health check up, immunizations and many more. If you are a single mother and pregnant then ACCESS has a specific program for you. The Presumptively Eligible Pregnant Women or PEPW program offers free prenatal cares in local clinics. You can find more information about the ACCESS Florida Program on their website, www. myflorida.com/accessflorida or you can call them up on 866-762-2237.
MediKids.
The MediKids program is administered by the Florida Health Care Administration and it offers assistance in health care to all children belonging to a single-parent family. This program also gives health insurance to single mothers who have children under four years old. MediKids covers dental care, health check ups, hospital inpatient and outpatient procedures, x-ray, prescription medication, hearing aids, eyeglasses and many more. For more details, you can visit their website www.ahca.myflorida.com or you can ring them up 877-506-0578.
The Florida Gulf Coast University provides grants for all single parents who want to continue studying but can’t afford to. The applicant must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours per week to receive a full grant. The Academic Competitiveness Grant or ACG is also one of the programs that financially aid single mothers who are planning to get back to school. The ACG is a program which offers grants to single moms who are studying first and second year in college. Visit ACG’s website www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD offers grants for single mothers housing assistance. This program is very useful to mothers who wish to have permanent homes or those who are struggling with their rent. The Shelter Plus Care Program also assists mothers in their housing needs. The program covers women who have some form of disability. Visit their website www.phfa.org. For HUD rental programs, call (800) 955-2232.
Free Grants For Single Mothers Can Take The Mothers’ Burdens Away
Free grants for single mothers are traditionally provided by different government and private agencies and these groups are unconditionally helping single mothers because they recognized that these individuals are the ones that are usually deprived of the best opportunities that are open in our societies. Especially the young unmarried women that have not finished their studies and became parents, so many chances are getting lost because rearing children alone is really a great burden that can render them helpless.
Free Grants for Single Moms
Added to that, even owning homes may seem difficult for them to happen mainly because what single mothers earn are only enough to feed their kids, sending them to school, paying for the rent and bills and so on. These left the single mothers unprepared to bring about down payments for buying new homes while virtually impossible to sustain themselves whenever they want to go back to school. However, all is not lost for single mothers. There are always opportunities that are waiting for them to be tapped.
In this article, we would like to discuss the issues to let single mothers realize that there are people out there who are willing to provide grants to them so that they can finish their studies as much as owning their own homes without adding burdens on their shoulders.
What You Need
To start off, free grants for single mothers are not like loans that need to be repaid in a given time except for home grants which we will discuss later. School grants, for example, are mostly provided for free to help single mothers pay their tuitions in school, probably even get housing accommodations or allowances and be able to finish their studies and have successful careers. And unknown to many single mothers, there are number of grant providers that are willing to help and just waiting for them get connected with. There are the federal grants which different government agencies are offering to deserving single mothers, the private organizations that have agendas of improving the lives of women which include single parents and many other groups that we can even find online, on the newspapers and from colleges and university boards.
All grants have their requirements in order to have it because there would be thousands of applicants that would surely vie for the slots and only the most deserving ones will be given the rewards. For school grants, here are the requirements that single mothers should remember when applying.
- You should be a U.S. citizen, a naturalized or a qualified non-citizen.
- Valid Social Security Number.
- Must have a high school diploma or GED as school grants are solely to support college and vocational education.
- If home schooled and was given a certificate which is equivalent to a high school diploma, the single mother can also qualify for school grant.
- For those single mothers that are not high school graduates or don’t have GED, they can take skills test in basic math and reading from the schools the grant providers have connection to. This is to determine if single mothers can be able to cope up with the schools’ curriculum.
- If already enrolled, at least six credit hours or equivalent courses must have been earned.
- Must have completed all other requirements required by the grant providers.
Once all these have been satisfied, you must then fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Having the FAFSA and the requirements, you can now file your application at the schools’ financial aid office.
Some Of the Best Grant and Scholarship Providers
In finding free grants for single mothers, we can name a few here that give out college scholarships and free study grants to mothers who are low-income earners or those living below poverty level.
- The Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. This is specifically for single mothers who are residents of Arkansas and provide scholarship opportunities to single moms that cannot bring themselves to school anymore. Single mothers in Arkansas can locate their country map to find its office.
- The Jeanette Rankin Foundation Scholarship Program. It provides scholarships to those who want to attend college and applications are open from November through February every year. This is open to all women but for single moms, they should be at least 35 years old.
- Patsy Takemoto Mind Education Foundation for Low-Income Women and Children. This foundation provides educational access, opportunities and support for low-income women especially single mothers and can also support their children.
- The R.O.S.E. Scholarship. This was established to help women survivors of domestic violence with financial school aid. This is actually for all women who want to finish their college educations with assistance. However, single mothers should have at least earned one full year in college to better qualify with this scholarship.
- W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship. Any woman who is motivated, capable and willing to finish her studies can apply for this scholarship. This is an ideal grant for single moms who want to earn their college degrees.
Free school for single mothers especially school grants are a lot these days. Even colleges and universities, political parties, commercial groups, religious organizations, minority and ethnic organizations are now involving themselves with the grant programs. So if you would like to avail any of the grants that are available, you must make your move right now and inquire.
Tapping Home Grant Agencies
With regards to housing grants for single mothers, there are actually no free grants for housing that are available for single moms. However, the federal government humanitarian sectors are also providing low interest rate loans to single mothers and helping them out in getting their loans from private organizations and other groups that offer monthly mortgage with the lowest interest rates.
On the other hand, because these are loans that must be paid, single mothers should present their employment contract or proof of income to the lenders and federal government offices when applying. All states have their federal government offices that are mandated to provide assistance to single mothers in terms of providing and finding housing grants for them.
For housing grants, the requirements can vary from every state but the grants that can be given to you will always be based on your income level. Here are the programs and grant providers you can check about.
- Habitat for Humanity. The HFH is a non-profit organization that actually builds homes on the national level but it is particularly considerate when it comes to single mothers. However, you should involve yourself with the HFH’s endeavor and that is joining volunteer work when building new homes or restructuring old homes that are for awardship and that includes your future home. Nevertheless, you don’t get a free home with the HFH but have to afford future payments and insurance costs although you don’t have to shell out money for the down payment.
- Federal Housing Administration (FHA). If you are looking for a home to buy while unable to pay down payment, the FHA can help you find lenders where you can borrow money for the down payment requirements. Moreover, you may have a higher insurance rate with a new home so you must have a stable job when you want FHA to assist you find some loans.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This institution is one of the cabinet departments of the Executive branch of the United States federal government and its mission is to provide quality affordable housing for all citizens of America. It has lots of government programs and one of these can be able to grant you loan for rent or mortgage payments. It can also you give counseling on renting or when buying a home.
- The Nehemiah Foundation. This non-profit organization can provide home grants with very low interest rates so it is more suited for single mothers who are low-income earners.
- Rental Assistance Programs – Section 8 Housing. This is also part of the federal housing program that provides housing assistance to low-income earners, single mothers and homeowners in the form of rental subsidies. This is managed by the HUD and other partners dedicated to provide low cost housing and rentals to qualified applicants.
Free grants for single mothers as well as low cost grants are surefire way of motivating single mothers to enhance their lives so they are given the said options to change their destiny and it is either by going back to school and fulfill their education and do ways in getting themselves their own homes. Being a single mother is not the end of the road for those who think their situations are hopeless. With these, hopefully, single mothers must take action in order to ready themselves for brighter future.
In order that we can urge single mothers take steps in improving their lives, we would also like to hear from you what you can share about free grants for single mothers so that they may know further. In this case, we will be very grateful to read your comments and feedbacks here.
Government Grants For Single Mothers – How These Grants Can Help?
Government grants for single mothers are very popular because so many single mothers are benefitting from them. The money that comes from these grants comes from the centralized government funding and one of the most significant providers of such grants is the Pell Grants. The Pell Grant got its name from its author the late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Previously, the grant was known as the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant. It was established to help college and vocational students finish their courses by providing certain amount of money for their tuition fees.
What Is A Pell Grant?
The Federal Pell Grant is not a type of loan that beneficiaries should pay so it is absolutely given as a free grant. At present, the maximum amount that one can take from Pell Grant is around $5,550 though the amount changes every year depending on the availability of funds. However, it is not always that this maximum amount can go to each beneficiary as this will depend on the individual’s income. Pell Grants are actually for the lower to medium-income individuals who cannot afford to send themselves to school. So to be able to know if a certain individual is qualified for the grant, the U.S, Department of Education uses its standard formula to compute the income and know if the applicant deserves the grant. But like other people who want to earn their degrees but cannot afford to due to financial constraints, the single mothers have special consideration with the Pell grants.
Basically, there are no special federal Pell grants for single mothers that were made. However, because single mothers are usually the helpless and financially constrained women who have mouths to feed, they are given special attention especially if they fall among the lower-income individuals. So what are their qualifications aside from being single parents that can better qualify them for the Pell Grants? Here we have gathered the utmost requirements.
- Single mother’s eligibility. The Pell Grant will base its criteria on the mother’s financial needs and economic status without prioritizing educational history, GPA or personal background. In this case, this can benefit those who have stopped schooling due to the need to raise their children and don’t have financial capabilities to pay for their tuitions. High school diploma, GED (General Education Development) certificate or have earned at least six credit units in college are important documents that can be presented when applying for Pell Grants for single mothers.
- Financial Requirements. How the single mothers’ rewards amounts come to conclusion is with the use of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) formula by the Pell Grant. If a single mother is still living with her parents, the parents’ income is computed to see how much it can contribute to the daughter’s (single mother) school expenses. So basically the family’s income is used in the EFC. If the single mother is already contributing to the payment for housing and spending for child care while earning, these will also be included to calculate how much grant the single mother deserves.
- Automatic Qualification. Single mothers who are living independently and earning $30,000 or less annually or have depended on food stamps or Reduced Price School Lunch Programs are automatically qualified for the Pell Grant.
Now, to help single mothers acquire their own homes and stabilized their living conditions along with their children, there are also government grants for single mothers to buy home programs that they can depend on. One good example is the Habitat for Humanity. This government sponsored institution does provide quality housing while awarding home ownership to single mothers. However, the HFH requires that applicants must be ready to contribute their time and effort to participate with the organization’s endeavor in building more homes through volunteerism. You can also inquire from any HFH office in your state to know how you can qualify.
Ameridream which was established in 1999 is also one charitable organization that helps single moms who are low to moderate income earners have their own homes. It provides loans with low interest rates to single mothers and this is best for moms who can’t afford to earn money for the down payment needed when buying homes. There are also instances that grants from Ameridream are given out without payment obligations especially for single mothers that have no means of income.
Other Feasible Opportunities
By checking the website Grants.gov, you can find in there so many grant providers that can help you build or buy a home. There are also federal grants that single mothers can tap like the non-profit organizations that only require volunteer work when there is the need to build homes for their members. Check your state’s website and you can surely find government grants for single mothers to buy a home. However, when you have found the institutions that you think can provide what you need, always read their requirements first before filing your applications so it is therefore advisable that you must always have ready documents when applying for grants particularly for home grants.
You can also visit your social services site or ask social workers to help you find single mother government grants. Contacting your local housing authority and inquire about the available housing programs that your state is sponsoring is also another way of finding home grants for single mothers. Checking the Public Housing Authorities Director’s Association website can also provide you a good perspective.
Some single mothers are meeting housing counselors to inquire about Housing and Urban Development programs that can be availed by single mothers. Also, find in your state if there is the Individual Development Account (IDA). This is a matched-saving account that is usually established by community organizations to help low to medium income families earn their money for home down payments.
If you know other government grants that can help single mothers get through their schooling and availing home grant opportunities, please post your comments here so that others may know. We will also welcome your feedbacks to help us come up with more supportive ideas.
School Grants For Single Mothers – How They Can Be Of Help And Where To Find Them?
School grants for single mothers are specifically designed for single mothers to encourage them to finish their studies and be in the working force so that they can provide not only good future for their children but also make their lives comfortable. Today, there are around 26 million single moms that have not finished their studies obviously because their children become their priorities. Unfortunately, without the degree, mothers would have more bitter time finding better opportunities as we live now in a very competitive world where the skilled and the educated ones do get the best jobs. In this manner, earning a degree in college is the best way to be more equipped and this is where school grants for single mothers come to be very helpful.
Grants for single moms are actually very much available during this time and we will discuss here where mothers can get them. But first, let us identify other benefits that some organizations provide to single mothers aside from the tuition grants itself.
- Housing privilege. This depends on the school on where you will be enrolling and granted the grants. Some universities that have strong tie-ups with organizations do have housing units and offer their single mother students free living. Obviously, this provides advantages for both the mothers and their children.
- Daycare opportunities. There are universities that have daycare centers inside their compounds and some grant providers will provide this privilege just to help out their student single mothers with their child care and let them get on easily with their studies. In some schools, they welcome volunteers who can care for the small children of students so take time to ask if the school has such amenity.
- Miscellaneous fees. These fees are actually extra fees that the grant providers can cover for the single moms when they enroll in universities. It can include laboratory fees which cover the lab gowns, equipments and lab materials. The fees can also include all the things that you need with your physical education subjects and so on. Gathering all these, these can actually cost the grant provider few hundred dollars.
These are only few of the opportunities school grants for single mothers can provide so take time to inquire from your grantor if it can answer for these amenities and then find a school where you can avail these.
Now, prior to applying for a grant, you must inquire from the U.S. Department of Education what you need for your application. You will surely need to fill out a FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) which will be used as the basis for your grant. The FAFSA can provide the evaluators of the grants how much grant you deserve to have. However, you have to be honest in filling up the FAFSA or dishonesty can bring you nothing. If you are a working mother, just indicate how much you are really earning and spending. If you belong to the low-income group or living with your children below the poverty line then you can easily qualify for grants. Now, aside from the federal grants that your state can help you with, you must also take time to find other grant opportunities which you can avail from many sources. Here are some of them.
- Private organizations and commercial groups. You can find them online or on your city government’s bulletin boards. You can also inquire from colleges and universities about such entities that provide school grants for single mothers.
- Minority and Special Interest Organizations. If you are a naturalized immigrant, daughters of immigrants or belong to organized minorities, you can also try availing grants from organizations that are established by minority groups. There are The United Negro College Fund, Asian-American Journalist Association, The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Scholarships and other non-profit organizations that can cater to all single mothers.
- Field of Study Grants. You can find universities that provide school grants for single mothers based from your area of study. Especially in the area of medical field, education, Information Technology, Law and other specialized courses, there are many organizations that are willing to provide grants to single mothers just to encourage having stronger workforce in these fields.
- Religious Organizations. Single moms especially those who are active members of religious organizations or their parents are members of such organizations, can inquire from their organizations’ offices of any school grants for single mothers. Religious organizations usually have strong tie-ups with other commercial groups whose board members belong to their congregation so sometimes even the child care, housing and miscellaneous fees are also provided to the grantees.
- Political groups. Most congressmen have foundations that support poor people including single mothers to get on with their studies through scholarship and grant programs. In this regards you can contact your district representative’s office for inquiry.
- Academic excellence. If you have a GPA of 3.5 or better with your chosen field of study, have leadership skills and have been involved in some community developments, you can request your professors to recommend you to organizations that can provide you school grants.
- Work Study Programs. Such programs are not the kind of grants that can assist you financially but in this case, you can work in your campus as a part-time working student. Even though you may get a minimum wage and if you have a grant supporting you, this can help you sustain your education.
School grants for single mothers are nonetheless the best opportunities that single moms can avail without the need to think hard where the money should come from for the fees. School fees are absolutely costly and considering that single mothers are commonly living independently with their children while some of them don’t have regular jobs due to lack of education, school grants are blessings for single moms already.
If you know other sources of school grants for single mothers that you can add to our list, we would like to hear from you. We also need your feedbacks so that we can come up with better concepts as our major aim is to provide service and information to those who need it especially the single mothers.
Education Grants For Single Mothers Are The Best Educational Opportunities For Single Moms
Single Mother Education Grants
Education grants for single mothers are some of the most sought after opportunities by single mothers who still want to pursue their studies but can’t afford to. As finishing education is the only way today to increase our earning capabilities, there would be time that if single mothers would not look for financial aid, they can’t really make it through considering that supporting children, paying for home rents and other expenses can kill one’s financial system.
Well the good news is that single moms can now choose from a lot of resources which they can get their grants to and can be able to finish their college degrees with so much support. Education grants can help mothers pay for their tuitions but there are also grants that cover the college housing, provide allowances for buying the textbooks and even computers which are all school necessities. With the number of available education grants for single mothers today, the dilemma of most single moms that it is hopeless to complete a degree can now easily be resolved.
Here are what we found to be the best sources for education grants that would surely be wanted by many single moms.
- Pell Grants. These grants are considered need-based college grants. Grants here are directly provided to self-supporting students that include single mothers and the grants can be used to pay for the general college-related expenses. The present cap is $5,550 but this amount can change each year depending on the availability of funds. Pell Grants can be had by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and for single mothers this is one of the best ways to get their financial assistance.
- Federal Grants. These grants are granted by the federal government so they are like forms of scholarships and can be applied by single moms. Some of these federal grants require that you must be Pell Grant qualified and have filled out the FAFSA. The following are good examples of Federal Grants:
- 1. Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. This provides financial educational assistance for single moms who are really in dire need for financial support and finances can range from $100-$4,000.
- 2. Academic Competitiveness Grant. This also provides grants for single mothers who have completed their high school after year 2005. Financial support can ranged from $750 during the first year and around $1,300 for the next year.
- 3. National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant. This grant can be applied by single mothers who will be entering their third or fourth year in college. If provides financial assistance up to $4,000.
- 4. Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education. This is one of the best education grants for single mothers who are aspiring to be teachers. Students can receive as much as $4,000. Moreover, the grant here must be repaid with low interest rate or there is also an option of providing teaching service for four years on areas where there is high need for teachers.
- 5. The Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant is very much eligible for single mothers and other individuals who are under 24 years old when their parents died in service during September 11, 2001 incident. This may not be applicable to large number of women but there are people who need to know this option.
- National and Local Scholarships. We did also found some forms of scholarship that are much like grants but don’t require students to repay back their grants. Those who are involved here belong to the national corporations and associations who have pooled their finances together to form educational scholarships for individuals including single mothers. These include the following:
- 1. Google. It offers grants for single mothers that study information technology and computer systems.
- 2. American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Help single mothers that are beyond 40 years old.
- 3. Jeanette Rankin Foundation. Supports women and single mothers that are over 35 years old.
- 4. The Association for Women in Science. Provide grants for women including single mothers who want to study Mathematics, Engineering and other fields where technology is involved.
- Your Company. If you are single mother working on an office setting but want to go back to school, you can check with your employer if it provides grants that single mothers can avail. Basically, around 60 percent of American companies are offering their employee benefits that include tuition assistance. Actually, the IRS is allowing companies to assist students with an amount of $5,250 a year per employee and that is tax-free.
- Colleges and Universities. There are actually a lot of colleges and universities that allot education grants for single mothers. The amount can help moms with their housing, tuition, textbooks, computers and all other school needs. You can check with the financial aid office of the schools about it. Your school can also help you find other viable sources for grants as schools are always connected with institutions and companies that are willing to provide grants to single mothers.
In almost every state, there are organizations that are set up to provide education grants for single mothers. However, take note that not all grants are given for free. There are supposed to be education grants but have hidden strings attached or charges. There are companies that will let you pay for your own educational expenses and will reimburse you after you have earned your degree. Some companies will require you to work for them on certain length of time before they provide you the grant. In any way, weigh anything first and consider the options if you afford it. Don’t forget also that your academic performance will always be the basis on how much grant you can get from every provider so always try to be a good performing student all the time.
Education grants for single mothers are always here to help and they are much available in many places. If you know any other sources for grants, we welcome your suggestions here and please leave us a feedback or comments to further our research so that next time, we can be able to provide more helpful information.
Business Grants For Single Mothers To Help Them Succeed In Life
Business Grants
Business grants for single mothers are definitely needed considering that raising children and sending them to school and keeping the home furnished with necessary materials can take a lot of financial resources that without businesswithout businesses, single moms would have hard time sustaining for everything. Even if single moms are employed but don’t run businesses, wages are not enough to support the kids’ needs especially if the fathers are not supporting or can be able to support sufficiently. However, not only the kids are greatly considered here. There are also the home loans or rents, the utility bills, maintenance cost and so on which are all burdens on single mothers’ shoulders. So if single mothers would not be able to put up their own businesses, there could be further dilemma which the common denominator is basically financial shortage.
What Are These Business Grants
Business grants are not actually loans but financial supports that are provided by various kinds of organizations. These organizations are composed of business corporations, private foundations and the federal government. However, because business grants are given out to help people who do not even have the capability to pay, there are guidelines that receivers of grants must dutifully follow. In this case, because financial assistance does serve as business grants, the organizations require that annual reports as well as financial statements should be submitted to their offices regularly. This is for the financier to know if the money are being used appropriately.
So where can single moms find grants that could best fit with their business plans? Here we name you the best sources.
- Federal Government Grants. For easy search, you can visit the site Grants.gov and find grants provided by the government. Within the page you can also find the lists of business opportunities in alphabetical order. Each grant provider also has written qualifications and requirements that applicants should comply.
- Corporation Grants. From the term itself, corporations especially the old companies are giving away grants to low income people including single mothers so that they can put up their own businesses. Examples of these corporations are the Home Depot, Bank of America and Levi Strauss Company.
- Private Foundation Grants. The ones that provide the grants here are group of private foundations or non-profit organizations that have pooled their money together in order that they can provide grants to individuals who want to set up their businesses. There is the Foundation Center which is a subscription-based search engine and known as the nation’s best authority in helping people connecting them to grant providers. Although one needs to subscribe and pay a little amount to the Foundation Center, this can provide you the best information for private foundation grants which business grants for single mothers are most possible.
Now, single moms should always be ready when applying for business grants because they will surely be asked with too many questions by the grantors. Things like the goals of the mothers for putting up their businesses, the size of their business if it would be only on the local industry or for international reach would likely be asked about. Also, the amount of money needed would surely be scrutinized, the number of employees (managers and the staff) and also about the short and long-term goals. So based from these questions, the single mothers should at least create their own feasibility studies and must do some research before coming up with the type of business proposals.
Business grants for single mothers can run up to more than $100,000. This amount can enable women to begin with small businesses and be economically independent. Divorced, widows and unmarried single mothers can really use this amount to run up their businesses. However, not all single mothers are given the opportunities for grants unless they meet the requirements.
Here we have summarized the general requirements single moms should be wary about when applying for business grants.
- At least 18 years of age and an American citizen
- Must present business proposal or feasibility study to the office of the grantors.
- Personal information or background to prove being a single mother.
- Birth certificate including the child o2 children’s certificate
So you see there are only basic and few requirements needed when applying for business grants for single mothers. But notice that the mother should be at least 18 years old. This is to ensure that the mother is already mature enough to handle the responsibilities of a business woman.
Business grants for single mothers are the best opportunities that women can choose and these are better than taking loans from banks or from private lenders. Such loans require payments and have interests alongside. And if the businesses would not be successful, single mothers can really be in greater trouble. So as an advice, for those who are thinking about putting up their businesskthrough grants, they must have clear ideas what business to put up and they must study the market comprehensively. They must also consult business people to get some ideas or can put their money in affiliation with the successful businesses. And that is how business grants for single mothers can be able to uplift the lives of single moms and provide their children the opportunities to have brighter future.
If you have further comments and suggestions regarding the way3 in sourcing out business grants for single mothers, you can share them to us here. We also welcome feedbacks so that we can also learn from your own ideas and experiences.
College Grants For Single Mothers – How To Find Them
College grants for single mothers do offer significant help to moms who are raising their kids on their own. With today’s demand that one must a have a college education in order to have a decent job while raising children and working alone do really put single mothers in a dilemma. In such condition, this makes for single moms going back to colle’e an almost impossible feat to complete.
Basically, there are thousand single mothers who still want to pursue their studies even though they have kids to take care to but with the lack of potential presence for financial support, there could only be failure for the mothers to finish their studies while there will be unsure future for their children. This is why single mothers must sought college grants to provide them relief and help them finish education which everybody deserves to achieve.
What Are These Grants?
College grants for single mothers are form of financial aids that are established to help financially constrained single mothers to pay for their studies and finish their courses. These kinds of assistance are very crucial because single mothers commonly have very little finances at their disposal considering that rearing children alone and sending them to schools needs a lot of financial power while going to college can cost thousands of dollars to complete it.
Single mothers are usually working moms and though they can earn enough to pay for their kids’ needs, here come the house rents, the bills and other expenses and then they lose their chance of paying for their college education. So literally, it is almost impossible for single mothers to finish their college courses because definitely they could not handle the financial pressure so this is where college grants can be most useful.
Where To Get College Grants For Single Mothers
College grants are usually provided by the state governments, federal governments and private institutions and individuals. There are also colleges and universities that offer college grants to single moms that have proven good scholastic performance.
If you are a single mom, there are criteria that you must pass in order to qualify for the grants. You may be required to submit documents regarding your annual income if you are a working mom. If your annual wages fall below the poverty level, there is a great chance that you can qualify to many federal and privately-funded institutions. There are also other requirements that you should pass to the grants provider in order to qualify so always be ready with your documents.
College grants for single mothers are actually easy to find. You can find them on the web, you can ask your friends about them, your religious group may know lots of them or you can ask your city’s administrator. However, it would be better if you can find them yourself as you can verify their legalities, know their requirements and identify what they offer. So to help you out, we have listed here some of the most trusted, legal, and proven institutions that can be your best prospects for your college education.
Here, are the ones that provide federal college grants for single mothers:
- Pell Grant. This is federal grant that is need-based so you must be evaluated properly prior for your eligibility. The Pell Grant can award qualified students financial assistance ranging from $400-$5,350. To apply for it, you must file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and you can download this PDF format from the web and submit it electronically to the FAFSA website. You can also fill an online form that is within the website.
- Academic Competitive Grant (ACG). This type of grant is a merit-based grant available only for the first and second year college students but have excellent academic level from their high school or freshman’s college. The ACG can award grant ranging from $750 for the freshmen students and $1,300 for the second year college students. You also need an approved FAFSA to apply for this grant.
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). This is a need-based grant that can fit single mothers who are really in need for financial assistance. The qualified mothers can get financial awards from $100 to $4,000 depending on the mother’s financial status. You also need a FAFSA for this.
- National SMART. Basically, SMART stands for Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent. So from the term itself, you know that only those single mothers who want to pursue degrees in the field of Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Art such as foreign languages and are incoming 3rd and 4th year college are given the chance to take this grant. Qualified students can take as much as $4,000 grant but to qualify you also need to have an approved FAFSA.
Now, aside from these federal grants, you can also take your chance with the state grants. State grants are offered by different states so they have different set of eligibility requirements, application processes and have varying amounts of awards. Again, you can check them out thru the Internet by looking at your state’s government higher education resources. You can also inquire from your state’s or city’s library about these.
For single mothers who l)ve near the areas below, you can check these out:
- Kansas Comprehensive Grants. Eligible single mothers from Kansas can get between $100-1,100.
- New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program