In 1916, Jeannette Rankin, of Georgia, was the first woman elected to Congress. She was a proponent of peace and women's rights. The Jeannette Rankin Foundation (JRF) continues her work by awarding scholarships to low-income adult women, many of whom are heads of their households facing "unique challenges in pursuing higher education."
The JRF scholarships are $2,000 per student (split between fall and spring semesters). Since 1976, the JRF has awarded $1.25 million to low-income women over the age of 35, with almost $900,000 of that total awarded between 2004 and 2009. Apply at rankinfoundation.org/students/applications.
As the first woman of color elected to Congress, Patsy Takemoto Mink, of Hawaii, was committed to gender equity in education and was a driving force behind the Title IX legislation that mandated it. She was also committed to educational access for low-income women, especially mothers.
The Foundation offers scholarships of $2,000 each to low-income women with children. You must be enrolled in a skills training program, ESL or GED program, or be pursuing a technical or vocational degree, first bachelor's degree, or a professional, master's or doctoral degree. Apply at patsyminkfoundation.org.
The Federal Pell Grant is a need-based grant awarded to low-income undergraduate students. If you are in a post-baccalaureate program that will lead to teacher certification, you may also be eligible for a Pell Grant.
You must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will determine your eligibility for a Pell Grant. Download the handbook for the Federal Pell Grant Program at ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/0304Vol3PellGrant and fill out the FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov.
From eLearners.com, Project Working Mom awards scholarships to parents for education at accredited online colleges and universities. Contrary to the name, you do not have to be a single mother to apply. The scholarship program is available to all working parents whether mom or dad, married, divorced or single. Apply for this scholarship at elearners.com/projectworkingmom/scholarships.