It all in the news these days about the outrageously easy money available for going back to college. Hundreds, if not thousands, of grants and scholarships go unclaimed each year simply because not enough people are aware of their existence in order to apply for them. Finding out about them is the first step in claiming them. They’re not hidden, by all means — it’s just that most people returning to college are unaware that these grants and scholarships even exist.
Since 2008, when President Obama took office, he has made many changes to a multitude of Federal programs, including education. There are active new programs that grant money to many groups of people, especially single mothers and stay-at-home mothers, to allow them to continue their education without worrying about the cost involved. Also, in these times of economic distress, a higher degree will only help you in the job market.
Before you even start writing for your scholarship application, you need to give some thought to what, exactly, you are going to be writing about. Fully understanding the scope of the essay and the direction you want it to take before starting is essential to writing a good, solid essay. Spending some quality time thinking about your essay rather than just picking up a pencil will make for a better essay, and better chances of gaining that grant or scholarship.
There are so many scholarship and grant programs that a simple, quick web search will turn up hundreds of thousands of results. This can be a bit daunting; my advice is to narrow your search down a bit (or a LOT) and start over. So, for instance, instead of searching just for “scholarships” search instead for “scholarships left-handed math majors” (or whatever particular skills, interests, and traits you have), and see if those results are a bit more manageable.
There are also scholarships and grants based solely on an essay. All you have to do, once you find these, is write an essay within the guidelines for that particular grant, and you’re practically there. There are even a few grants where all you need to do is enter, and they are granted to a lucky few by drawing. If you truly want to go back to college to improve your life, the money is there. All you have to do is find it.
You can find more info on scholarships for women over forty and scholarships for women over forty here
