Single Dads Navigate Online College Grant And Scholarship Possibilities For College Success

According to the U.S. Census, there are around 14 million single parents in the U.S. today. One out of every six of them are men. That's slightly over two million men trying to raise their children, maintain their home and hold down a job at the same time. True enough, but it shadows compared to the number of single mothers doing the same thing and at even less wages. At the same time, these men can no doubt use their share of help, too.

One thing these single fathers have no doubt seen are the ads all over place saying how President Obama wants to help single mothers advance their education. After all, the Bureau of Labor Statistic has hard studies showing the greater a person's education, the more money they make. What many of the single fathers have to realize is that even though it doesn't say so, the ads are also good for them.

Just like single mothers, single dads can find grants geared towards their needs. This not only can include covering tuition, fees and text books, but even financial assistance for child care or child sitting, food and even, in extreme cases, rent and utilities.

To start, the first thing a dad on his own should do is weigh his job position. If he is unemployed, what kind of job would he like? If he's already employed, what kind of degree would he need to improve his career? Once those decisions are made, the next step it to search for local community or online colleges that offer the right certification or degree programs. Make a short list of schools, at least three.

The next step is to get in contact with that list of schools and talk to a career counseling officer. These officers are also usually well versed in financial assistance. They will also help the single dad when it comes to filling out the always required FASFA form, which is necessary to determine financial need.

Now it's time to start applying for the grants. For starters, such programs as the SEOG and Pell Grant are a good start, but that isn't all that's available. Being a single parent more than likely means the father can look outside the Board of Education to the Social Services Administration for needed childcare, and possible rent, utilities and food assistance.

This is just the beginning, though. With or without the college counselor, the prospective student should definitely get on the Internet for an established search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo! Just by typing the search parameters "grants, single father," will yield literally hundreds of thousands of other prospects. Each will have its own criteria and more paper work, but apply to enough of them and a dad could end up with his entire costs covered.

What's really important here is in the long run, the education provided by online college grant and scholarships that enable a dedicated parent to improve his (or her) position. With an online degree, the one that makes the most sense for that busy dad, he ends up assisting himself and his children. Whatever else you want to call it, that's good parenting regardless of gender.

Don't Overlook Any Possibilities When It Comes To Scholarships And Grants

It's well known that computer science is one of the most in-demand professions in the world. It is also well known that it is one of the most expensive educational programs to pursue. That doesn't mean there isn't financial aid to defray those costs. In fact, there is, and many of the source are those students aren't aware of.

This doesn't mean students should ignore more standard options though. Filling out a FASFA form and applying for such grants as the Pell, SEOG and more, is a good way to cut thousands of dollars off tuitions and fees right off the top. Yet these additional revenue streams can actually finish off the process, maybe paying the entire bill with some extras for such essentials as a dorm room, food and more. Here are a few examples of what's out there:

Intel Science Talent Search - The world-renowned microchip manufacturer knows where its bread is buttered. They set up an annual contest where 20 of the most promising students are awarded scholarships ranging from $750 to $100,000, an Intel-powered laptop and a trip to Washington DC. Prospects should be warned, according to Intel, that they field through 1,600 applications every year. At the same time, the payoff could be considerable.

AFCEA General John A. Wickham Scholarship - This scholarship is awarded to second-year or higher students majoring in computer science, math, electric, aerospace and several other STEM disciplines. They must also have a 3.0 GPA or better and go to an acknowledged and accredited four-year school program. All students who meet their criteria receive $2,000.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon Student Award for Academic Excellence - This award is actually jointly administered by the college fraternity and one of the largest professional organizations for computer hardware experts in the country, the IEEE Computer Society. A competition, it awards four scholarships of $500 each to its winners, who must also have a 3.0 GPA or better.

Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship - Each year the Xerox Corporation awards anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 to minority students in a number of different computer and printing related categories. Again, the students must have a 3.0 grade point average or better and be attending, or planning to attend, college in a full-time capacity.

Microsoft Scholarships - Microsoft actually has four main scholarships in computer science; General, Minorities, Women, and Students with Disabilities. They are particularly interested in those showing exceptional originality and knowledge of software. If awarded, a student could wind up with a scholarship paying their full tuition for the year.

It should be noted this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the quality and number of scholarships available to computer science majors. This doesn't even begin to address the grant for online school (or traditional) possible opportunities. Search engines will turn up thousands and a good financial aid counselor can help. Whether you are starting with one course online or on-campus, or taking a full load, getting all the aid you can will make it a less stressful road.