Is there a specific grant/scholarship that may help with bills, expenses while attending school? Would a loan be more suitable for this situation?
2006-06-22 06:08:16 · 9 answers · asked by born2bfree 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Financial Aid
Always seek out grant and scholarship aid first -- if that doesn't cover your costs, turn to loans second. Exhaust all your options for federal, state, and institutional aid first, and only then consider a private/alternative loan.
Would this be your first degree? Will you be attending undergraduate or graduate school? The financing options tend to differ greatly dependning on the level of education you're seeking. There is a lot more federal grant aid available to firs-time undergraduates, so if you fall into this category, you should certainly apply for anything you can.
1) File the FAFSA online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov (the only official site from the DOE -- you should never have to PAY to file this form). Your school will use this form to determine your eligibility for federal, state, and many institutional aid programs. Once you receive your offer from them, see whether it meets your needs. If it doesn't...
2) Apply for private grants and scholarships. These can be found at any number of organizations. Check your local library for books/listings and churches/associations/clubs in your area for their offerings. You might even want to visit your local high school for ideas. Some colleges also maintain listings of private scholarship opporunities geared towards their students. The internet has a variety of search engines as well:
http://www.fastweb.com
http://www.srnexpress.com
http://www.scholarships.com
http://www.scholarships101.com
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
http://services.princetonreview.com/default.asp?RUN=%2Fcollege%2Ffinance%2Fscholar%2FscholInterview%2Easp&RCN=auth&RDN=7&ALD=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eprincetonreview%2Ecom
http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/content/pay_free_money.jsp
If you decide you need to borrow a loan, contact your school to make sure that they have offered you all the federal aid they can. They consider any of the loans listed on FinAid.org's website (specifically the Sallie Mae Signature loan, which is by far the most widely-used alternative loan on the market): http://www.finaid.org/loans/privatestudentloans.phtml
2006-06-22 06:50:26 · answer #1 · answered by FinAidGrrl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a single mother myself, I am currently going back to school and have applied for a Pell Grant (which doesn't have to be paid back), but because of the amount of money I make per year, they only gave my so much money toward the loan and I have to pay the remainder back as a student loan. The best thing to do, is ask someone in the financial department of the school
2006-06-22 13:16:46 · answer #2 · answered by mickm868 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may be able to get grants AND a loan. Find the school you want to go to and apply for financial aid. You might get it especially since you are a single mom. Go for it and good luck!
2006-06-22 13:12:17 · answer #3 · answered by jessigirl00781 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you fill out a FAFSA, you'll be considered for both federal grants and loans (see link).
As for scholarships, my sister had great luck recently with using Fastweb (also linked below). There are several criteria you can enter, and you'll get notifications about scholarships that fit those criteria as they become available.
Finally, depending on your university, there might be special funds available for single parents. About.com has a pretty good list!
Good luck to you!
2006-06-22 13:21:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a single mom, and just went back to school. I got a loan and a Pell Grant. I have not had to make any payments at all, not even for books.
2006-06-22 13:13:01 · answer #5 · answered by Good Gushy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look for uncommon student grants and scholarships, there is usually a lot of those because they want more people to get their advanced degrees.
2006-06-22 16:25:13 · answer #6 · answered by Jacci 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contact UCAS or British council for scholarships. For initial information Visit : visit http://www.catzone.org
2006-06-22 16:02:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My co-worker is a single mom, and she goes to school part-time. Our company pays for it, most big firms do. It's tough, but it can be done at no cost to you.
2006-06-22 13:13:36 · answer #8 · answered by shoelace 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask your town for local bursaries. these help you with an amount you don't pay back unless you fail, don't start or drop out. but only if your eligible. i think rich people create these so that they give bursaries instead of paying those dollars to taxes...
2006-06-22 13:53:14 · answer #9 · answered by littleblanket 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋