Single Mother Grants for College

Single mothers have the formidable task of providing for their children all on their own. A college education can go a long way in helping them fulfill their commitments since a good education can open up a world of opportunities for a single mother. Grants for college students can be very helpful to single mothers who are desirous of pursuing higher education.

Government Grants for Single Mothers

Federal Pell Grant
Single mothers, who are financially constrained, can apply for Federal Pell Grants since these are need based grants that are awarded to deserving students. Students are expected to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The same application form may also be used in order to apply for loans and college grants sanctioned by the Federal Govt. Although Pell grant is meant for undergraduates, students enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs may also receive this grant. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the cost of tuition and the enrollment term are the important factors that are used for determining the student's eligibility for this grant. For the academic year 2009 - 2010, the maximum amount of money that can be disbursed to students in lieu of the grant is $5,350. Since this is a direct college grant, money is awarded by the participating schools to eligible students. The grant money is payable at least twice a year or once per term.

Generally, the Federal Pell grant is awarded to students whose annual family income is between $30,000 and $60,000. Students can receive this grant for a maximum of 18 semesters assuming that they received their first Pell Grant on or after July 1, 2008.

The Federal Pell grant acts as a stepping stone for the following single mom grants for college students.

The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant
Students, who are in the third and the fourth years of their undergraduate study, are eligible to receive the 'National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent' Grant. This grant is also known as the Smart Grant and provides a sum total of $8000 for the third and the fourth years of undergraduate course work. Students, who are pursuing one of the following courses, are eligible for these grants: Agriculture & Natural Resources, Computer Science, Engineering, Critical Foreign Languages, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Technology.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
FSEOG supplements the Federal Pell grant. Like the Pell grant, FSEOG is also disbursed on the basis of financial need. Students with exceptional financial need can receive between $100 and $4,000 per annum. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is again the most important criterion for obtaining this grant. The EFC is the sum of the following items:

• A percentage or a portion of the net income that remains after subtracting allowances for basic living expenses.
• A percentage of net assets arrived at after taking into account an allowance for asset protection.

The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
Although the Federal Pell grant is the stepping stone for receiving this grant, merit-worthy performance is a must for ACG. This is a fairly recent grant which was instituted during the 2006-2007 school year.

In addition to the Federal Government, the state government and private entities also provide grants meant for a single mother. Grants for college students are also provided by lenders like Sallie Mae and Nellie Mae. These private lenders provide both federal student loans and private loans to eligible students.