Pell Grants help moms attend school and care for their children
President Obama increased Pell Grant funding and loosened restrictions in 2009 in an effort to train more American workers. The Pell Grant gives money to any undergraduate student demonstrating considerable financial need, regardless of age or familial configuration. President Obama targeted single mothers as one of several groups of Americans with particular need for federal student aid.
Purpose
Pell Grants provide free money from the federal government for low-income students to pay for college tuition and educational costs. Pell Grants have helped tens-of-millions of low-income Americans go to college since the 1970s and contributed to a more educated workforce. Mothers with at least a bachelor's degree are five times more likely to earn enough money to pay for their family's expenses than mothers with a high school education, according to Campus Explorer.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
To apply for a Pell Grant, a student must fill out the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Though moms are not treated differently than any other applicant, moms can state that they care for dependents, which increases the amount of aid they are eligible for. The application also asks for personal information, household size and income, expected family contribution (EFC) and the applicant's total assets.
Determining the Award
The Department of Education takes the answers on the FAFSA and sends the information to the applicant's school, where a financial aid officer puts the numbers through an equation and determines the student's award amount (the maximum amount was $5,550 in 2011). According to Campus Explorer, mothers caring for at least one dependent and earning less than $50,000 a year are eligible for Pell Grant funds.
Uses
Pell Grant money can be put towards a bachelor's or associate's degree at any of the 5,400 institutions accepting federal money, which include community colleges and a number of online schools. The federal government sends Pell Grant awards directly to financial aid departments. Some departments send the student a check for the entire award, while others apply the award to the student's tuition balance and send the remainder to the student. The student can use Pell Grant money for education related expenses, including tuition and fees, books, other supplies, transportation and living expenses--including childcare and other costs related to taking care of children while in school.
Tags: Pell Grant, Pell Grants, Application Federal, Application Federal Student, Campus Explorer, federal government