Life as a single mother can be very challenging on its own, without having to attend college and meet essential deadlines. Finances can be a massive worry for single parents who are attending college, particularly because funding college expenses and attending isn’t cheap. However, finding college money for single parents needn’t be a worry!
Funding College Expenses
There are several different ways single parents can find money to fund their college education. You have the option of either choosing a student loan, a grant or scholarship. A student loan is money being lent to you, whereas a grant or scholarship is money being given to you for funding your education. So, a Student Loan will require you to repay the total amount and, in some cases, interest, too. Student loans are offered by financial institutions, such as banks, and other private and corporate organizations. The Federal and State Government programs are the most popular choice when selecting a grant or scholarship program, they offer a wide range of financial aid meaning they have a program that is suitable for almost every U.S Citizen that is in financial need.
Funding Schooling
One of the hardest parts about college is being able to keep up with the regular costs. For example, stationary, trips, and if you are on campus, living expenses! As a single mother, you may be entitled to benefits from the government, however benefits from the government might not be able to pay for everything, so there are other options open to you.
One main benefit you may be entitled to is the Work-Study Program, or FWS Program. The aim of this program is to provide funds that are earned through part time employment, and over 3,400 colleges participate in this program across the U.S. The typical wage of part time employment as part of the FWS Program meets national minimum wage – so it might be a good idea find two small, part time jobs, as long as this does not interfere with the time you spend with you child. Before you decide to take a job though, work out how much daycare will cost and whether you would not be better off not sacrificing that time. The main issue is that daycare can be very expensive, especially if you need your child cared for late in the evening, when costs will be even higher. You may find that you are paying more for child care than you are actually earning!
The other option would of course be to apply for some aid to cover your daycare costs, or see if you can find a grant or scholarship that covers at least part of these costs.
Finding college money for single parents can be a lot easier if you speak with the financial aid officer at the college you wish to attend. For more information on finding Federal and State Financial Aid, the http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/ website is full of pertinent information to help you find the best program tailored to your needs,
