Becoming Who You Want To Be

Are you nervous about returning to school due to the poor economic conditions that seem to saturate the worlds news. If so, you should rethink your plans. This is actually an ideal time to finish your degree, or even begin to pursue your dream of a college education–especially if you are a single mother. Why? Because there is more federal financial aid for single mothers than ever before. Women all over the United States are applying for federal grants and tax credit programs to help them get further education.

Federal Tax Credit

Although the Earned Income Credit has helped many single mothers, there are other tax credits that will aid directly with college education. One credit is the American Opportunity Tax Credit program. This tax credit program was created to cover the first $4,000 of a citizens higher education, and is figured on your previous years income instead of current or future income.

Be sure to also check tax credits for education at the state level. Some are even especially developed for working women. For instance, there is a program in Indiana that helps day care workers get further education.

Government Grants

The Pell Grant is probably the most well-known federal grant program today. President Obama’s administration has expanded these programs especially for low income students, and will increase the maximum allowable grant to $5,100, up from $4,050. Eventually the president hopes to raise it to $5,400, which will be a great boost to single mothers.

Is There Assistance Available for Online Programs?

If you working or single mother, you are probably not going to have time for traditional classes. Do not worry–the Pell Grant program is for online degrees as well as traditional campus schools! Many of the other financial aid programs are also designed to include online courses, which is an great program for single mothers.

Of course, there are a lot of financial assistance programs out there so this means money available for you. However, it also means it can be a time consuming task to find them–consider using a scholarship matching service. Many are free or very low cost, and can help you find money you would never have thought possible.