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Scholarships for Children of Single Parents

Scholarships for Children of Single Parents

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You’re a proud single parent of a soon-to-be high school graduate.  How will you finance your child’s college education?  The good news is there is financial help out there in the form of scholarships.  Depending on your circumstances you can search and find many scholarships to apply for that will help with the cost of sending your child to college.

To get you started in your search for scholarships for your college bound child, I’ve listed 10 scholarships for children of single parents.

1. American Legion Legacy Scholarship

Each year, the American Legion offers the Legacy Scholarship to provide a $37,000 stipend that can cover tuition, textbooks, and other living expenses for college students whose parent was killed while serving our country. Candidates must be the biological or legally adopted children of United States Armed Services members who died in active duty on or after 9/11. Eligible high school seniors and graduates should be enrolling for undergraduate studies at an accredited higher learning institution in America.
Contact:
American Legion Legacy Scholarship

2. Ava’s Grace Foundation Scholarships

Ranging in value from $3,000 to $5,000 apiece, the Ava’s Grace Scholarship Foundation (AGSF) distributes annual awards for up to four scholars across the state of Missouri who are being raised by a single parent while the other serves prison time. Qualified candidates must be U.S. citizens, exhibit financial need, achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, be enrolling in an accredited non-profit college, be seeking their first degree, and have a parent incarcerated in a U.S. state or federal penitentiary.
Contact:
Ava’s Grace Foundation Scholarship

3. Ayo and Iken Children of Divorce Scholarship

Founded by a group of Florida divorce attorneys, the Ayo and Iken Children of Divorce Scholarship is presented annually for $1,000 to graduating high school seniors in Florida who live in a single parent family divided by divorce. Eligible applicants must plan to pursue post-secondary education after graduation, have parents permanently separated or divorced, and write a 2,000-word essay describing how their parents continue to show their love despite being part of a separated household.
Contact:
Ayo and Iken Children of Divorce Scholarship



4. Carolina Covenant Scholarship

For students from single parent households who are enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Carolina Covenant Scholarship is available to potentially cover 100 percent of tuition costs for a maximum of four years and provide a laptop computer. Qualified candidates must be considered dependents, maintain full-time enrollment status, be pursuing their first bachelor’s degree, make satisfactory academic progress, have U.S. citizenship, and come from a low-income family that does not exceed federal poverty guidelines.
Contact:
Carolina Covenant Scholarship

5. David J. Ewing Scholarship Fund

In honor of a beloved father of two who lost his battle with cancer in 1990 at the youthful age of 36, the David J. Ewing Scholarship Fund was created by the University of North Texas to award tuition assistance to currently enrolled full-time undergraduate students who have lost a parent during their working years. Along with the application, candidates must submit two letters of professional recommendation, official high school transcripts, financial aid reports, and a two-page essay on their educational goals.
Contact:
David J. Ewing Scholarship Fund

6. Families of Freedom Scholarship Program

Based on a financial need formula, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Program provides annual awards to dependent children of 9/11 victims, including World Trade Center workers, Pentagon employees, airplane crew or passengers, emergency medical personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers killed in the tragic terrorist attacks. Eligible applicants must be enrolling in an accredited post-secondary program at a vocational school, community college, or university in the United States before their 24th birthday.
Contact:
Families of Freedom Scholarship Program

7. Heroes Tribute Scholarship

Through the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF), the Heroes Tribute Scholarship is granted to provide $7,500 for up to four years to children of Marines and Navy Corpsmen who were killed in combat operations on or after September 11, 2001. Eligible applicants must be planning to attend an accredited undergraduate college in the upcoming fall, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, be pursuing their first bachelor’s degree, and have been raised by a single parent with an adjusted gross income under $94,000.
Contact:
Heroes Tribute Scholarship



8. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

Administered through the U.S. Department of Education, the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants are given annually for over $5,300 to college students raised by a single parent or guardian after a parent was killed in military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11. Qualified candidates must be under 24 years old, plan to enroll in an accredited American college at least part-time, meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements, and have grieved the death of a parent in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Contact:
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

9. Jackie Spellman Foundation Scholarships

In loving memory of a 24-year-old who lost her battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after 14 months of painful treatments, the Jackie Spellman Foundation offers scholarships for $1,000 to $5,000 to graduating high school seniors or college students who have lost a parent from leukemia or lymphoma. Eligible candidates must plan to enroll full-time in college, have critical financial need, carry a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, and write an 800-word essay explaining how leukemia or lymphoma has forever changed their life.
Contact:
Jackie Spellman Foundation Scholarships

10. JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Scholarship

On the basis of academic merit and financial need, the JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Scholarship is granted annually at Syracuse University for $500 to $1,570 to currently enrolled undergraduate students raised within single parent households who need financial assistance to participate in a study abroad program. Along with a completed application, students must submit a one-page essay stating how studying overseas will help them reach their academic, personal, and career objectives in today’s global community.
Contact:
JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Scholarship

This list is only a portion of the scholarships that you can find out there to help in assisting you with funding your child’s college education.  So keep researching to get the most scholarship assistance you can for your child.

When is it OK to Leave my Children Home Alone?

When is it OK to Leave my Children Home Alone?

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As a single parent you may be asking yourself, ‘when can I start leaving my children home alone?’ This may be out of necessity or because your children seem mature enough and don’t want to go with you everywhere you go.

Before you make the decision to leave you children home alone there are many things to consider. The following is a link to an article that covers everything that you need to think about and address before you decide to leave your children at home without you.

Children Home Alone – Decide When to Leave Them Home

Single Parent Picking Battles and Roles

Single Parent Picking Battles and Roles

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I found this post at a blog called Spilled Milk.

Being a Single Parent Means Picking Your Battles…And Your Roles

One of the hardest parts of becoming a single mother, for me, is the desire to be everything for my child. I desperately want him to have the childhood I had… the baking cookies, the team sports, the music lessons. I don’t want him to have moments when he thinks “Man, I could do that if I only had my dad in town.” I want him to grow up happy and well-adjusted and to me, that seems to mean working over time to ensure that he misses out on positively ZERO experiences…

You can read the entire post at Spilled Milk.

Single Parent Struggles

Single Parent Struggles

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Interesting article about single parent struggles.

Single parent struggles…how is that defined exactly? Is the problem worse in San Diego than other cities? The San Diego Union Tribune recently ran a story with Nathan Fletcher who is running for San Diego Mayor. He touched a little bit on kids in San Diego, “…There’s no guarantee that you get an equally easy path. So if both of your parents went to college, it’s easier for you than a kid that has a single mom who struggles financially, who’s in a poor community.” Mr. Fletcher went on to talk about everyone having access to the “American Dream” but do children of single parents truly have that access and what kinds of struggles do single parents have?

 

How to be a Single Parent Success

How to be a Single Parent Success

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The reality of single parenting

We hear a lot about single parent households in the news, and how challenging a single parent home can be for children growing up.  As much as single parents don’t want to hear that (especially those who didn’t choose to be a single parent), the challenges should not be ignored.  However, there is research that shows that children of single parents can avoid many challenges, and thrive when they’re provided consistent love and support.

If you search online you can find many resources and organizations, both nationally and locally, that exist to help single parents succeed in raising healthy, well adjusted kids.  And that’s very important, but the critical daily needs of a child, and the managing of daily responsibilities must be shouldered by the single parent.  As we all know, that can be overwhelming at times.

So how do single parents succeed?

Love

Tell your children that you love them.  You’d be surprised how many parents forget to tell their kids that they love them.  Show your kids that you love them.  Show the kids that you love them enough to be a responsible parent.  They will thank you later.

Consistency

Children do best when they have consistent routines and guidelines; and your house runs smoother.  Make sure your child has a consistent schedule and bedtime.  Establish rules and boundaries that are consistently enforced with appropriate consequences for violations.  Don’t forget to praise good behavior.

Communication

Have family meetings once a week to share the up-coming schedule and get feedback from your kids.  You may not think that you need a weekly meeting because you and your child always talk; or your child’s too young, but think again.  As your kids get older, family meeting time may be the only time they can re-connect with the rest of the family.  The longer you wait to start this ritual, the harder it is to maintain in a single parent household.

Attention

Listen to what your kids are saying; especially when they’re not talking.  Know who their friends are; and their friend’s parents.  Know what they’re watching, listening to, and where they’re going online.  Know where your children are at all times.  Again, the older your kids get, the more important this becomes.

We all know that it’s not easy being a single parent, but we can make it easier on our kids and on ourselves if we follow some important rules.

Are you a Single Parent Swimming Against the Current?

Are you a Single Parent Swimming Against the Current?

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When dealing with your child’s ‘other’ parent, threre is more than one single parent scenario. Some single parents have no contact with the ‘other’ parent and wonder why they don’t want to be a part of their child’s life. While other single parents have disruptive, controlling, abusive ‘other’ parents that they are trying to protect their child from. And all the scenarios in between.

But there is one group of single parents who make life harder than it has to be for everyone involved; especially their children. If your child’s other parent is involved in your child’s life and you two are still bickering, maybe the following article will help you gain some perspective on how little you’re gaining, and how much you are losing, by not putting your past behind you and co-parenting your child.

Parent With The Current

The phrase “single parent” is new for the twenty-first century. Men and women are designed to repopulate and raise their children together, not single-handed. More than offering our X and Y-chromosomes, men and women both bring valuable substance to the table of parenting. Both have their strengths and weaknesses that help develop a child to their full potential. To offer this to our children is priceless.

While this still exists in the twenty-first century, some of us aren’t that lucky. We are called “single parents”. Though unless our husband has died or has totally abandoned the children, we aren’t parenting alone. We just are no longer a two parent, one house family; we are a two-parent two-house family. Most of the arguments in the house are built around “Mom says I can do this” and “Dad says I can do that.” Life is hard for you and confusing to your children. When parenting “single,” we are not alone, but it does seem that we are most of the time because parenting this way is like swimming against a current. It takes all your strength and you can’t do it for long without consequences to both parents and children.

The “current” is the relationship you now have with your ex-spouse. That reflects on your parenting and your relationship with your children, which in turn affects their relationships with others.

We know one house two parents parenting has the best out come for children. We know single parenting does not. A new parenting phrase and way of life has to be created to combine the two.

-One house two parents’ -Two parents working together in the same house to raise children. The two parents stand united.
-Single parenting – Two parents not working together in two houses. Taking every opportunity to negate each other. Two sets of rules for the children because the parents are not united in child rearing.

There is another option.