According to the United States Census Bureau, there are approximately 10 million single mothers in America as of 2009. Not all of these women are in an income bracket that would require them to receive assistance for college, but many are at or near the poverty line. Jared Wiley of the University of Michigan News Service reported that, in 2008, single mothers still experience financial instability despite reforms in welfare. Grants are needed to make it possible for these women to work fewer hours so there is time for class and money for tuition and daycare.
Grants for single mothers can be obtained from the government if the single mother fills out a Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Once this form is submitted, the government identifies grants for which the applicant is eligible. The form is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Another place to look for grants is online. There are many websites that detail specific grants that are available to single mothers. One that stands out is SingleMom.com. This site has many links to and explanations of individual grants for single mothers; the viewer can see at a glance what grants are available, how much the grant pays, and what organization is providing the money. Scholarships.com is another good website.
Grants also can be obtained through businesses. Some organizations look for single mothers within the community and offer monies based on donations. If the grant is organizationally supported, the organization typically funds education in a specific field related to the supporting business.
The amount available in grants for single mothers varies greatly. Depending on the source, it may be as little as $100 or as much as $10,000 or more. Most grants pay a maximum of around $5,000.
The application process for each grant for single mothers depends on the grant. Some require essays, forms, transcripts, interviews and detailed financial data. Others simply require writing of a single paragraph explaining how the grant money is going to be used and why the applicant feels they deserve to be given the grant.
College grants may be used by single mothers who want to achieve any degree level in most cases, although some grants specify whether they are for undergraduate or postgraduate work. The organization providing the grant, along with the university's financial aid office, may require a certain number of credits to be taken per semester in order for the grant to apply and stipulations on taking semesters off may apply.