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Scholarships
Top single mom scholarships for you
Find scholarships for single mom that can help you pay for college.
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Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
What are single mom scholarships?
Single mom scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for single mom students. Single mom scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for single mom scholarships
Before you apply for single mom scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. Some common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are single mom scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over scholarships for single mom with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find single mom scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find scholarships for single mom.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engine tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”

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Single mom scholarships
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The Scholarships360 $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
Due: 6/30/2025
No Essay
$10,000
Arkansas Single Mom Scholarship
Due: Varies
No Essay
No Recommendations Required
Amount varies
ASPSF provides financial assistance and personal support to Single Mom students across the state. Traditional scholarships are being offered to support both full-time and part-time single-parent students pursuing an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or certificate program. Skilled trade scholarships are also being awarded to any eligible single-parent students pursuing education beyond high school, including those enrolled in skilled trade programs. To be eligible for an ASPSF scholarship, applicants must live in the state of Arkansas or in Bowie County, TX. Applicants must also meet the following definition of "Single Mom" (all 3 categories): (A) Marital status: You're single (never married, widowed, divorced, legally separated) or you're married but living apart and your divorce will be final by the time the scholarship is awarded. (B) Parenting Status: You're the custodial parent or guardian with physical custody (50 percent or more) of at least one dependent child. A dependent child is 18 or younger, older than 18 and still in high school, or a severely disabled adult living with and dependent on you. (C) Living status: You're the only adult in the home with the child(ren), you live with parents or relative(s), or you live with a roommate who is not your partner, significant other, or a co-parent. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma or GED and have not previously earned a bachelor's degree. Their household income is typically not more than 250 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines. The application cycle for Fall 2024 scholarships will open on April 15, 2024 and the deadline is June 15, 2024. The application cycle for Spring 2025 scholarships will open on August 15, 2024 and the deadline is October 15, 2024. The application cycle for Summer 2025 scholarships will open on January 15, 2025 and the deadline is March 15, 2025. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
One Family, Inc. Scholarship Program
Due: 7/16/2025
No Essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
Amount varies
The One Family, Inc. Scholarship Program was established by the Massachusetts Legislature to assist heads of households in achieving their academic goals. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide the opportunity for a permanent path out of poverty through the pursuit of higher education. Applicants must be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year and be a U.S. Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations. They must be an incoming or returning student enrolled in a certificate, associate's or bachelor's degree program at an eligible institution. They must be maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with institutional and federal standards. Applicants must also qualify as a head-of-household, with children under age 18; and at risk of homelessness, based on federal poverty standards, or has experienced homelessness within the previous 12 months. They must be an active participant of One Family, Inc., services and activities, including the Leadership Seminar program. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
The Salix Gastrointestinal Health Scholars Award
Due: 5/6/2025
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$10,000
The Salix Gastrointestinal Health Scholars Award will be awarded to those who, at the time of application, have applied to, have been accepted to, or are currently attending an accredited college, university, or advanced (post-high school) vocational or technical school for academic year 2024-2025. Applicants must have been diagnosed with and treated for a gastrointestinal condition and have been treated by a licensed healthcare provider. Two letters of recommendation and information about the applicant's school and community activities must be submitted. Signed 2024 Medical Statement Form confirming the applicant's gastrointestinal condition is also required. Four awards are available to underGraduate Student; four awards are available to Graduate Student; one award is available to working parent pursuing undergraduate, vocational or technical, or graduate degrees; and one award is available to Single Mom pursuing undergraduate, vocational or technical, or graduate degrees. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Single Mom Household Scholarship
Due: 5/31/2025
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$10,000
The Single Mom Household Scholarship gives preference to underrepresented and underprivileged exceptional students raised in a single-parent household or students who are Single Moms themselves and pursuing a degree in education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), and sustainability. Applicants must be minority high school or College student who reside and study in the United States, are underprivileged and have graduated from high school. To qualify, candidates must demonstrate academic excellence and involvement in their community or workplace. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact For A Bright Future for more information.
10 Women's of Hope Scholarship
Due: 2/28/2026
No Essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,000
The 10 Women's of Hope Scholarship is open to currently enrolled students who are residents of Cobb County, Georgia. The applicant must be a Single Mom to a child under the age of 19. Recipients of this scholarship must participate in one volunteer opportunity with the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation or their scholarship will be forfeited.
Harper College Women's's Program
Due: Varies
No Essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Amount varies
The Harper College Women's's Program is dedicated to assisting eligible Harper College student pursuing credit-seeking courses towards either their first college degree, a certificate, or ESL coursework. Women's's Program scholarships are intended to assist students who reside within Harper's district. Participants need to meet low-income guidelines and at least one of the following criteria: Single Mom; A non-traditional career seeker; Woman fleeing domestic (intimate partner) violence; Woman with limited English skills pursuing coursework for English as a Second Language (ESL). Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Anne B. Alling Scholarship
Due: 12/15/2025
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Amount varies
The Anne B. Alling Scholarship is open to full-time matriculated underGraduate Student at CCSU with a preference to Single Mom, non-traditional students. Applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria: a) students who have returned to higher education after an absence of three or more years; b) demonstrated lack of sufficient means to meet the cost of higher education; or c) documented efforts to finance higher education costs through full and part-time employment. Please visit the scholarship website for the supplemental question.
Deblinger Family Scholarship
Due: 5/17/2025
No Recommendations Required
$10,000
The Deblinger Family Scholarship Fund was established to help low-income, single mothers who are the heads of their households to return to college to improve the lives of their families and motivate their children to excel. The Deblinger Family Foundation wants to enable non-traditional students to focus on achieving their academic goals and performance so that they can create a successful future. Applicants must be currently enrolled in a community college to obtain an associate's degree, or certificate, or in a four-year college transfer program. Students who already have an AA degree and are planning to transfer to a four-year college, are also eligible. Applicants must already be accepted into an accredited nonprofit school or program before applying for a scholarship. Applicants must also be current residents of select eligible counties. Preference will be given to residents of Oakland, San Francisco, East Palo Alto, San Jose, and Watsonville. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Anne C. Kaplan Endowed Fund
Due: 1/31/2026
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Amount varies
The Anne C. Kaplan Endowed Fund provides financial assistance to the Shirley Nelson Campus Child Care Center to discount the cost of childcare for NIU students, faculty, or staff, with preference to be given to Single Moms and employees whose retention would be enhanced by assistance with childcare support. The fund also provides support for students serving postgraduate internships in partner institutions in DeKalb County.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for single mom scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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Tips for writing scholarship essays
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