Parenting may not be all that pleasant and tolerable when one is a single parent, especially when one is in the midst of a financial trouble. Putting food on the table is just among the daily responsibilities that a parent must carry out. Despite having a job, one’s income might not be enough to maintain the needs of the whole family.
It is believed that educational attainment plays a key role in finding a lucrative career. Unfortunately, not all parents are able to even finish college. As a result, they have fewer options in finding a profession that match both their skills and interest.
What happens then turns out to be a vicious cycle. One gets tied to a job that does not pay that much but due to urgent need, one gets stuck. Since expenses are higher than one’s income, needs are not sufficiently provided. A person can work hard all he or she wants but the opportunity bitterly ends there.
The next thing that can happen is over fatigue from working too much and stress from mishandling finances that may lead to possible illnesses or worse, an unhappy family. Money problems definitely put a strain on one’s relationships.
Having an insufficient income may push a parent to consider tempting loan and credit card applications even with high interests as immediate solutions, a way out of one’s predicament. The cycle continues. But there is a way to put an end to this. Everyone must work on continuously increasing knowledge and acquiring new skills to get a higher income.
Otherwise, there shall be no chance for growth, and no chance for the family to survive. Understanding the situation of single parents perhaps have moved companies, the government and other organizations to provide grants for single parents.
Each organization has a different set of criteria to follow in order for a single parent to be qualified for grants. It is important to carefully evaluate and check if the organization offering such grants is authentic and reliable.
There are some groups who trick parents into believing that the grants being offered are free through internet advertisements but sometimes, these turn out to be spam or the group requires parents to pay later on. Wikihow offers helpful tips to get started.
These include checking if one’ current income is within the requirements, checking these grants with the local government offices or website, asking relevant questions and preparing all the necessary documents as advised.
In the US, the Federal Pell Grant Program aims to give aid to both single mothers and fathers go back to school although it has helped more mothers in the past. For this program, grants are based on the financial need of the applicant and school costs depending if it shall be on a part-time or full-time basis.
To request for a grant, one is initially required to fill up a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Other organizations that provide similar single parent benefits or grants include the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants and State Grants for Single Mothers, which, like the Federal Pell Grant Program, is not limited to mothers only.
The CalGrant in California puts greater weight on the economic status of the family, thus giving high priority to disadvantaged families.
These fall under the category of needs-based education grants. Aside from these, there are also merit-based education grants for single parents that are given based on academic merits or performance such as the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and the National SMART Grant (Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent).
Another grant for a good cause is the Raise the Nation’s Loan Repayment Grants for Single Mothers which assists single mothers to pay outstanding student loans. Those who have been awarded with these grants must eventually give back through community service or by sharing their expertise with those who are in need.
Once a person is able to receive grants, he or she can then afford to pursue higher education, either online or in universities. This will eventually open doors of opportunities for single mothers and fathers and help them become more financially independent in the future.
Next Article:- Being a Single Parent
It is believed that educational attainment plays a key role in finding a lucrative career. Unfortunately, not all parents are able to even finish college. As a result, they have fewer options in finding a profession that match both their skills and interest.
What happens then turns out to be a vicious cycle. One gets tied to a job that does not pay that much but due to urgent need, one gets stuck. Since expenses are higher than one’s income, needs are not sufficiently provided. A person can work hard all he or she wants but the opportunity bitterly ends there.
The next thing that can happen is over fatigue from working too much and stress from mishandling finances that may lead to possible illnesses or worse, an unhappy family. Money problems definitely put a strain on one’s relationships.
Having an insufficient income may push a parent to consider tempting loan and credit card applications even with high interests as immediate solutions, a way out of one’s predicament. The cycle continues. But there is a way to put an end to this. Everyone must work on continuously increasing knowledge and acquiring new skills to get a higher income.
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| Image By: USAG- Humphreys |
Each organization has a different set of criteria to follow in order for a single parent to be qualified for grants. It is important to carefully evaluate and check if the organization offering such grants is authentic and reliable.
There are some groups who trick parents into believing that the grants being offered are free through internet advertisements but sometimes, these turn out to be spam or the group requires parents to pay later on. Wikihow offers helpful tips to get started.
These include checking if one’ current income is within the requirements, checking these grants with the local government offices or website, asking relevant questions and preparing all the necessary documents as advised.
In the US, the Federal Pell Grant Program aims to give aid to both single mothers and fathers go back to school although it has helped more mothers in the past. For this program, grants are based on the financial need of the applicant and school costs depending if it shall be on a part-time or full-time basis.
To request for a grant, one is initially required to fill up a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Other organizations that provide similar single parent benefits or grants include the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants and State Grants for Single Mothers, which, like the Federal Pell Grant Program, is not limited to mothers only.
The CalGrant in California puts greater weight on the economic status of the family, thus giving high priority to disadvantaged families.
These fall under the category of needs-based education grants. Aside from these, there are also merit-based education grants for single parents that are given based on academic merits or performance such as the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and the National SMART Grant (Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent).
Another grant for a good cause is the Raise the Nation’s Loan Repayment Grants for Single Mothers which assists single mothers to pay outstanding student loans. Those who have been awarded with these grants must eventually give back through community service or by sharing their expertise with those who are in need.
Once a person is able to receive grants, he or she can then afford to pursue higher education, either online or in universities. This will eventually open doors of opportunities for single mothers and fathers and help them become more financially independent in the future.
Next Article:- Being a Single Parent