The first important factor for finding the right grant or scholarship is eligibility. On top of being a single mom, you could also qualify for scholarships intended for minorities, residents of certain states, graduates of your high school, or women in general. There are also scholarships for women interested in certain careers, and for people who have overcome considerable obstacles; take advantage of all your qualifications in addition to being a single parent. Many scholarships also require that you be either a current student at an accredited college or university, or that you have been accepted to attend in the future.
There are several large nationwide scholarship programs that consistently offer grants for singe mothers. One is the Soroptimist Women's Opportunity Award, which has operated since 1972 giving scholarships to women who provide the primary financial support for their families. Another is the Women's Independence Scholarship Program Inc., which disburses aid to women who have left abusive situations and are pursuing an education in order to support themselves and their children. Smaller organizations also provide grants and scholarships at different times, so researching current grants is a must.
Several states have single parent scholarship funds, and many scholarships are limited to regions of the country, or even regions of a specific state. The best way to find out about these scholarships is to look on your state's board of education website, or to use scholarship sites like Fastweb.com, Scholarships.com and CollegeBoard.com. Look on your city or county website for local scholarships that might not make it onto the bigger search engines. If you are currently employed, see if your company offers scholarships for employees who go back to school.
Many colleges and universities offer scholarships specifically for their students. Often these scholarships start as endowments from the school's alumni, and can include a variety of students, including single mothers. Find a scholarship directory for your school; often these grants are not listed anywhere else.
There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting a scholarship. The first is to apply to as many programs as possible; the more applications you put in, the better your odds will be. When you write your applications, be very clear and honest about your financial need. As a single mother, your financial obligations are more than the average student's, and making your need clear is very important, especially if the scholarship is not specifically intended for single parents.