National Charity Organizations

• National charity organizations often offer scholarship programs. Certain local chapters of the Assistance League (AL), for example, offer scholarships specifically for students with dependents living in their local areas. The Hemacinto, California chapter of the AL offers scholarships to single parents returning to school and enrolled in programs at community colleges. AL's Greeley, Colorado chapter provides scholarships to single parents, which recipients can use to pay for tuition and textbooks. The Triangle Area, North Carolina chapter of the AL offers student aid for single mothers enrolled at post-secondary institutions.
  
  

Scholarships for Women

• Multiple organizations offer scholarships specifically for women with children. The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, for instance, offers scholarships for low income mothers to help pay for educational or training programs. The Mink program plans to offer five scholarships in 2011, according to the foundation, with maximum awards of $2,000. The Women's Independence Scholarship Program offers scholarships to women who have survived domestic abuse and extends a preference to single mothers. Women 35 years of age and older may qualify for funding offered by the Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund, which helps support students pursuing bachelor's or associate's degrees and women attending vocational schools.
  
  

Regional Scholarship Programs

• Certain state or regional organizations offer scholarships for single parents residing within a specific region. For example, the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund offers student aid for single parents who live in Arkansas, which recipients can typically use to pay for tuition, childcare, household expenses and textbooks. Arkansas candidates must meet income limits to qualify and hold custody of at least one child under 18 years of age. The program typically extends eligibility only to applicants who have never earned a degree or diploma from a four-year college or university. Individual county chapters of the organization administer the scholarships and eligibility, and award guidelines may vary from county to county.
  
  

Institutional Programs

• Certain colleges and universities sponsor special grant and scholarship programs specifically for single parents. Boston University's Metropolitan College, for instance, awards the Scholarship for Parents. The program extends eligibility to students who have children attending public schools in Chelsea or Boston, Massachusetts. Recipients of the scholarship can receive a 50 percent discount on their tuition fees at BU Metropolitan College and can use the award to enroll in one of 15 bachelor's degree programs. To qualify for the Scholarship for Parents programs, applicants must have completed a minimum of six college classes and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.