Grants and Scholarships Specifically for Single Mothers
Specific scholarship and grant programs open, close, and change their terms frequently, making a static list of named programs likely to become outdated quickly. This roundup focuses on the categories of opportunities worth searching for and how to find current, accurate options rather than a fixed list that won’t stay current for long.
Federal and State Grant Programs
Federal Pell Grant
Covered in more detail in our guide to going back to school, the Federal Pell Grant doesn’t require repayment and is based on financial need, which many single mothers qualify for given typical single-income household earnings. The FAFSA is the starting point for this and most other federal aid.
State-specific grants for parents or low-income students
Many states offer grant programs specifically targeting parents, low-income students, or students pursuing in-demand fields. These vary enormously by state, so checking your specific state’s higher education agency website directly is the most reliable way to find current, accurate options.
Institution-Specific Scholarships
Scholarships for single parents or non-traditional students
Many colleges, particularly community colleges, offer scholarships specifically for single parents or returning adult students, often less competitive than general scholarships since the applicant pool is narrower. Checking directly with the financial aid office of schools you’re considering, rather than relying solely on general scholarship search websites, often surfaces these institution-specific opportunities.
Departmental or field-specific scholarships
Within a specific academic department or field of study, additional scholarships sometimes exist beyond general institutional aid, particularly in fields actively trying to recruit more diverse or non-traditional students. Asking directly within your intended department of study can surface options not listed in general scholarship databases.
Nonprofit and Foundation-Based Scholarships
Organizations specifically supporting single mothers
Several national and regional nonprofits specifically focus on supporting single mothers pursuing education, sometimes combining scholarship funding with mentorship or other support services. Searching “single mother scholarship [current year]” surfaces current options, since these programs’ specific terms and deadlines change yearly.
Women’s foundations and organizations
Many women-focused foundations and organizations offer scholarships that, while not always exclusively for single mothers, often weight need and life circumstances in ways that favor single parents navigating education while raising kids alone.
Community and civic organizations
Local civic organizations, community foundations, and service organizations sometimes offer scholarships with less competition than national programs, simply due to a smaller, more local applicant pool — checking with local community foundations specifically is worth the search time.
Employer-Sponsored Education Benefits
Tuition assistance or reimbursement programs
Some employers offer tuition assistance or reimbursement as an employee benefit, sometimes underused simply because employees don’t realize it’s available — checking with HR directly, even if it’s not prominently advertised, can surface this option.
Industry-specific training scholarships
Some industries, particularly those facing worker shortages, offer scholarships or training programs specifically to recruit new workers, sometimes including support for career-changers or those returning to the workforce after time away.
Workforce Development and Government Training Programs
State workforce development programs
Many states offer workforce development funding that can cover training or certificate program costs, particularly for in-demand fields, sometimes specifically targeting single parents or those returning to the workforce after a gap.
WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) funding
Federal WIOA funding, administered through state and local workforce boards, can support training costs for eligible individuals, including some single parents, depending on specific eligibility criteria that vary by program and location.
Combining Multiple Funding Sources
Most single mothers funding their education don’t rely on a single source — combining several smaller awards, grants, and aid sources is often more realistic and achievable than securing one large scholarship that covers everything:
- Stack federal aid (Pell Grant), state grants, and institutional scholarships together, since these typically aren’t mutually exclusive and many students qualify for more than one simultaneously.
- Layer in smaller, less competitive local or nonprofit scholarships on top of larger federal and state aid, even if individually modest, since smaller awards add up meaningfully over a full program of study.
- Revisit and reapply each academic year, since many scholarships and grants require annual reapplication, and some opportunities (workforce development funding, employer benefits) may only become relevant or available at certain points in your educational timeline.
Treating funding as a combination of multiple sources, built up over time and reapplied for annually, tends to produce a more complete funding picture than searching for one comprehensive solution.
How to Find Current, Accurate Opportunities
Since specific programs change frequently, a few search approaches help surface what’s currently available:
- Search with the current year included (“single mother scholarship [current year]”) to filter toward currently active programs rather than outdated, expired listings.
- Check directly with financial aid offices at schools you’re considering, since they often know about institution-specific and local opportunities not listed in general scholarship databases.
- Use reputable scholarship search platforms that allow filtering by specific criteria (single parent status, financial need), while being cautious of any platform requiring payment to access listings, which is often a red flag.
- Ask your state’s higher education agency directly about state-specific grants and scholarships, since state-level programs aren’t always well-represented in general national scholarship searches.
How to Avoid Scholarship Scams
A few patterns indicate a scholarship opportunity may not be legitimate:
- Any requirement to pay an application fee, since legitimate scholarships generally don’t charge applicants to apply
- Guarantees of winning, since legitimate scholarship programs have competitive selection processes, not guaranteed outcomes
- Requests for sensitive financial information (bank account details, Social Security number) very early in the process, before any legitimate award has actually been offered
- Pressure to act immediately without time to review the opportunity or organization’s legitimacy
How to Strengthen Your Applications
A few approaches that tend to improve scholarship application outcomes:
- Apply broadly rather than relying on a single opportunity, since scholarship competition varies and applying to multiple smaller, less competitive opportunities often produces better overall results than focusing exclusively on one or two larger, highly competitive ones.
- Tailor each application specifically to the scholarship’s stated criteria and values, rather than submitting an identical generic application everywhere.
- Be specific and honest about your circumstances as a single parent where relevant to the application, since many of these programs specifically weight this context favorably, rather than something to minimize or downplay.
The Bottom Line
Grants and scholarships specifically supporting single mothers exist across federal, state, institutional, nonprofit, and employer-based categories, but the specific programs change frequently enough that searching by category — rather than relying on a static list — produces more accurate, current results. Applying broadly across multiple opportunities, combining several funding sources rather than seeking one comprehensive solution, being specific about your circumstances, and watching for scam patterns all give you the best chance of finding and securing funding that fits your specific educational goals.