Scholarships are often the only way in which prospective student can gain access to higher education in many developed and developing countries; for single mothers this reality is all too common which is why the advent of Single Mother Scholarships have been such a boon to equalizing access to education. As many as 10.3 million families in the USA are headed by a single woman, and in Canada the numbers are a little more reasonable at 550,000.
Single mothers are often quite young and hence in their prime years when they minds are still hungry for knowledge but still flexible enough to change and adapt to new information and a changing life landscape. Most young women who are eventually interested in applying for scholarships do so because they were forced to leave school when they gave birth to adjust to their new life with their new baby. These are not your typical drop-outs, these women still have dreams of completing their education.
Single Mother Scholarships can be more than just an open door, it can be the entire horizon that lies in the future. By gaining access to these scholarships, single mothers can take responsibility for their lives and their children’s lives by securing their future without the added burden of seeking out employment outside of school hours.
Undertaking employment during education can be stressful enough for some student, much less the added concern of spending time with a baby or a child, hiring babysitters for the hours in school and the hours at work, striking a balance between jobs that pay sufficiently but that do not take up too much time, purchasing supplies for babies and/or children, and so many other constraints that only a single mother can fathom. It is no question that education is one of the most powerful tools that exist to alleviate poverty and to establish a solid foundation for future generations. In the context of developing countries, entire communities can be transformed by the education of just one woman.
It has been shown that when a woman is educated, whether it be through an initiative like Single Mother Scholarships or something else, she is more likely to invest that knowledge in to the well-being of her family. This is why Single Mother Scholarships are perhaps more powerful than a similar scheme for men would be, this is not to discount the value and important of male-headed families but rather to interpret the potential impact of gender-based schemes. like : 4 Benefits for Single Mothers
Moreover, women are more likely to pass-on their newly acquired knowledge, hence the wider-spread influence on their children and communities. A recipient of a Single Mother Scholarship will undoubtedly ensure that her children receive the best education that she can provide, so the investment in these women is multi-generational.
Although the traditional inclinations in many people might balk at the thought of a single mother taking time away from raising her child to focus on herself, the reality is that initiatives such as Single Mother Scholarships allow woman to make an important decision about their child’s lives today and tomorrow. If a mother wants to be able to look into her child’s eyes and say “Your education is important” then she should be able to back-it-up with her actions, acting as a role-model for her offspring.
Read also : Grants for Single Mother
Most readers of this article are not single mothers and might be wondering what this has to do with them, the answer is ‘more than you think’. If you are a single mother: more power to you; if you’re not: support these women, the financial aspect is but one area of their lives, they need your encouragement, your love, and your understanding. Let’s all work together to ensure that scholarships for single mothers are available to the women who are brave enough and committed enough to want it.
