There are lots of obligations that come with a working mom, first of all, you have a boss you are responding to, and second, you have a family that you need to take care of. Now, education is still knocking at the door and you desire to either start or complete your degree.
And it’s a very brilliant decision to intend to complete your degree even as a working mother, in fact, you’re not alone in this journey, 44% of parents are also planning to return to college. However, no matter how encouraging it sounds, it doesn’t make the journey less burdensome, you now have more obligations than you should.
The good news is that there are several scholarships for working moms, especially free monies for women returning to school. Moreover, even some governments provide general scholarships to help reduce financial burdens whether as a mother or a regular 18-year-old student pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
We would advise you to go through some primary scholarship requirements to equip yourself properly while applying for any of these awards.
Let’s get straight ahead to list these scholarships.
Table of Contents
Scholarships for Working Moms
1. Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation
The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation was established in 2003 with the core purpose of providing educational access, opportunity, and equity for low-income women, especially mothers that are working. Candidates need to be pursuing a first degree at a post-secondary level of education such as Vocational, Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate Degree. Applicants also need to enroll in a not-for-profit academic institution or program in the U.S.
2. Live Your Dream Awards
This is among the scholarships for working moms that is provided by Soroptimist and it’s exclusively for women that are the primary financial support for their families. Most importantly, Soroptimist provides several scholarships to about 1,700 women all over the world worth over $2.8 million.
Also, winners of these scholarships are likely to win cash prizes up to $16,000 which can be used for any educational costs they wish — including child care, tuition fees, purchase of books, and transportation.
3. The Jeannette Rankin Foundation
The Jeannette Rankin Foundation was created to help women aged 35 and older that are returning to school to successfully finish their college degrees and transform the next chapter of their lives. So far, their scholarship has made 87% of their scholars either graduate or even continue their educational path toward achieving their degrees.
Also, they have awarded $4 million to over 1,300 women across the country to pursue their educational aspirations.
4. AAUW – Career Development Grants
The American Association of University Women Career Development Grants provides financial aid to women who hold bachelor’s degrees and intend to advance in their education, or intend to change careers, or re-enter the workforce in education such as; health and medical sciences; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); or social sciences.
Preference is given to women of color, women pursuing their first advanced degree, and working women. The scholarship is worth between $2,000–$20,000.
5. The Women’s Independence Scholarship Program (WISP)
This is one of the scholarships for working mothers that have been formerly abused to overcome barriers to the education necessary for their becoming employable and financially stable. The goal of WISP is to help single moms with children that are having financial challenges gain the appropriate work skills to enable them to provide for and support their families.
To be eligible for this Scholarship candidates have to identify as a woman that is a survivor of intimate partner abuse, and applicants also must have separated from their abusive partner for at least a year but it shouldn’t exceed 10 years.
6. The Ford Opportunity Program
This is among the scholarships for working moms that award 90% of unmet college costs such as tuition, fees, room and board, personal costs, etc, minus other grants and scholarships. However, you need to be a resident of Oregon or Siskiyou County, California, to be eligible.
7. The R.O.S.E. Scholarships
The R.O.S.E. foundation provides several scholarships for mothers that are the breadwinners of their families, some of them include;
- Kirkland-Lyles Scholarship
- Barbara E. Reed Scholarship
- Watson – James Legacy HBCU Scholarship
- Robert W. and Irene O. James Technical Career Scholarship
- Dr. Betty James Robinson Youth Scholarship
8. The Talbots Women’s Scholarship Fund
This is among the scholarships for working women that stopped school because of one condition or the other and now want to return to college to earn their undergraduate degree. You can use the scholarship in the freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year of college.
Also, recipients may choose a two-year technical college or four-year university and attend either part-time or full-time and must be U.S. citizens.
9. BHW Scholarship
BHW Scholarship is exclusively for women pursuing their bachelor’s or master’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Also, the scholarship is worth $3,000 and international students can apply, but they have to be attending a US-based school.
10. The Margaret McNamara Education Grants
This is a nonprofit, public charity founded in 1981 that awards education grants to exceptional women from developing countries who are at least 25 years old and enrolled at universities in the United States, Canada, and select universities in South Africa and Latin America, and the Caribbean. Applicants need to be registered (not just accepted) at an accredited academic institution when submitting their application.
11. MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship
Worth: $1,000 to $6,000
MPOWER has been in the business of empowering high-potential global citizens to realize their educational aspirations — and become tomorrow’s leading scientists and innovators. Their commitment made them create this scholarship program which focuses on working moms who will use their STEM degree to benefit society and the planet and who have the potential to serve as role models and advocates for women in STEM.
12. SWE Scholarships for Women
This is among the scholarships for working moms pursuing an ABET-accredited program in preparation for engineering-related careers. Annually, SWE disburses more than 300 new and renewed scholarships valued at more than $1,500,000.
13. (ISC)² Women’s Cybersecurity Scholarships
This scholarship is administered by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, and they provide up to 10 awards ranging between $1,000 – $5,000. The funds can be used for academic expenses like tuition, fees, and books, and they will be sent to the school with instructions that they will be applied.
14. AWWA Scholarships
This is another scholarship for working mothers provided by American Water Works Association, and AWWA believes that investing in students is one of the futures of the water industry. They also support students through discounted memberships and more than 26 scholarships and $200,000.
15. Boston University Women’s Guild Scholarships
The Boston University Women’s Guild scholarships are awarded to women that are 30 and above enrolled in University graduate programs. You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to apply and the total awarded yearly averages about $5,500.
Conclusion
These are not the only scholarships available for mothers that are working, you can still make some personal research on scholarships related to your field, or even ask your local community, they might have financial aid that no one is talking about.
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