Raise the Nation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help economically support single women who wish to pursue an education. The organization offers two scholarship options and one grant option. The grant is for professional single parent women who conduct volunteer work. This is a student loan repayment grant, and the amount paid out corresponds with the amount of volunteer work the candidate accomplishes. For women whose careers consist of helping or teaching within their communities, no further volunteer work is necessary.
The Child of a Single Parent Woman Scholarship is for the children of single mothers who wish to attend college, are under 24 years old and are claimed as their mothers' dependents.
The Scholarship For Continuing Education is open to all single mothers who are enrolled in a post-secondary course of study and who are in need of financial resources, but do not necessarily qualify for government programs. These awards are offered for fall and spring sessions and applications are available on the organization's website.
Raise The Nation
P.O. Box 8058
Albuquerque, NM 87198
505-265-1201
raisethenation.org
Patsy Takemoto Mink was the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She served Hawaii's second Congressional District for two sessions, once from 1965 to 1976 and then again from 1990 to 2002. She established the Takemoto Mink Education Foundation in 2003 and provides five Education Support Awards annually to low-income mothers for up to $2,000 each. Other requirements for this award are that the candidate be: older than 17; enrolled in an accredited program for skills training, ESL, GED, technical/vocational, associate degree, first bachelor's degree or a professional/master/doctoral degree program; and have a low income, meaning a family income for two that is less than $17,500, a family income for three that is less than $22,000, aor a family income for four that is less than $26,500. Applications are available on the foundation's website.
Patsy Takemoto Mink Foundation
P.O. Box 769
Granby, MA 01033
patsyminkfoundation.org
As an international women's organization, Soroptimist is designated for business and professional women who volunteer their time and financial support to international and community-based projects that benefit women and girls.
The organization offers seven awards that recognize women who have: participated in girls' volunteer efforts; survived a natural or man-made disaster; experienced domestic violence in the workplace; raised awareness about sexual trafficking; promoted club projects; inspired women to live their dreams; and women who help other women. Soroptimist's biggest project is the Soroptimist Women's Opportunity Awards, which provide women with a total of more than $1 million in cash awards annually.
Applicants must: be enrolled in or have been accepted to an undergraduate degree program or a vocational/skills program; demonstrate financial need; be the primary provider for their families; and cannot have earned an undergraduate degree previously.
Soroptimist International of the Americas
1709 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6103
215-893-9000
soroptimist.org