Tips on Finding Scholarships and Student Loans for Single Parents Returning to School

Now more than ever, the laws in place today recognize the importance of single parenting and the responsibilities involved. This is why there is such a growing trend towards extending financial help to single parents. Not only in the U.S., but in many places around the world governments, social institutes and religious organizations are recognizing the value of single parenting. There may be many reasons why you initially left school. Either to have children or get married, being a single parent returning to school you are faced with the same uncertainty that other incoming students are faced with, and that is funding your education. How will you pay for it?

If your are returning to school with the intention of going half time or more, consider filling out a FAFSA application. This is free and can be done online. In most other cases, the eligibility requirements for single parents basically require that you prove that you are really in need of financial help. While federal aid is one way to go, there are alternatives to student loans for single parents returning to school. One such alternative is to apply for scholarships. As a returning student, your scholarship search will follow along the same lines as a traditional student. Don't be afraid to ask the college you are applying to, as they may have their own scholarships and financial aid. You can inquire at the college financial aid office about scholarship information and collect the appropriate forms. While searching for scholarships the United States has a surprising number of unusual scholarships that are awarded to people. Combinations of personal characteristics such as surnames, race, religion, sex, age, profession, etc are just a few unusual types. You can do your research online or at your local library and the benefit is that you can find many scholarships that many people don't even know about because they haven't investigated them.

One option that you may want to consider is discussing your return to school with your employer. In some cases, you may be eligible for tuition reimbursement for earning credits, in addition to the availability of flextime to attend classes during your normal working hours. If it is a large company, chances are that they will have some sort of funding in place for employees returning to school. One example of a company that has a tuition reimbursement program is Wal-Mart. They have a program for eligible Wal-Mart employees called The Higher REACH Scholarship which has helped many employees to continue their education.

If the idea of studying late in the evenings after the kids are asleep and everything is quiet just doesn't sit well with you, give some thought to obtaining a degree online. An online degree is highly regarded and the benefit is that it can often be done at your own pace. You also save on time and money in terms of transportation. For those people who have the discipline and need flexibility with studying and taking classes, online education is an excellent alternative.

Research schools that have on site child care facilities. It isn't easy juggling work, school, and family. Finding the time to study when your children need attention can be another huge challenge. Some schools have on site child care facilities which are great for single parents returning to school. Not only will your child be nearby, you may have a chance to spend some time with them between classes.

Fortunately, a growing number of continuing education programs today are offering returning students access to more resources and support services than in the past. Historically, these services were catered towards your traditional student, but these days they are specifically designed to assist adult students and single parents reach their academic and professional goals.

Consider the options discussed above and keep in mind that while financial help and aid for single parents is available and open to every single parent in the land, qualifications and eligibilities do exist and are set to protect against abuse of the system.