The Scholarships for Moms Program has been talked about a lot in the media and has been widely attributed to the President's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.� ARRA has increased funding to grants, loans, and scholarships while opening eligibility to more students.
A good portion of the funding changes are aimed at increasing the funding and eligibility of Pell Grants (the most common form of federal financial aid).� During the 09-10 school-year, a student would max out at $5,350 in tuition dollars.� For the 10-11 school-year, students can get up to $5,500.
Pell grants are tuition grant awards designed to assist those with the lowest incomes.� Primarily aimed at those who make $20,000 a year or less, eligibility standards do allow for families making up to $50,000 a year.� How much of those tuition dollars a student gets is based on the "expected family contribution" (EFC).� Pell grants are only available to undergraduate students for a maximum lifetime limit of 18 semesters.
Eligibility is not based on race or gender but does require the applicant to have a high school diploma or a GED.� It also requires parents of students under the age of 24 to apply on their child's behalf.� The only exceptions are if the student is married, in the military, a grad student, or a ward of the state.
Pell grants and other federal financial aids are applied for through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (fafsa) found in most university financial aid offices.� Money is in a limited supply, so it is best to get a jump on this tuition option.
Once the Pell Grant is secured, students should investigate other funding opportunities, such as scholarships.� There are many scholarships available through the private sector.� The trick is to find them.
Many scholarships can be found online.� Run a simple keyword search on eligibility criteria (i.e. gender, race, religion, or nationality).� Investigate to see if there are any scholarships based on academic fields through guilds and unions.
Visit college and university campuses.� Many scholarships are given by these institutions themselves.
Check with local professional, civic, and social organizations.� Many prefer to invest in the community by educating the local work force.
Just leave no stone unturned.� It's a lot of work, but the benefits last a lifetime.
**Update**
Did you know you can get a $10,000 scholarship for Moms just for registering? Apply right now for free:
Scholarships for Moms
