How to Get Grants for Single Mothers Going Back to School.
Grants for single mothers going back to school exist in far greater numbers than most people realize — and yet…
Grants for single mothers going back to school exist in far greater numbers than most people realize — and yet most single mothers who are trying to fund their education spend weeks searching and come up empty because they are looking in the wrong places or running into scholarship databases that weren’t built with them in mind.
If you are a single mother thinking about going back to school and wondering how on earth you are going to pay for it while working, raising children, and managing everything else life requires of you right now — this guide is written specifically for you. We are going to walk through the real funding options available in 2026, where to find them, and how to approach each one so you give yourself the best possible chance of getting funded.
Why Single Mothers Are in a Stronger Position for Financial Aid Than They Think
Here is something that surprises a lot of single mothers when they first hear it. The federal financial aid system is actually structured in a way that works in your favor in several important respects.
When you file the FAFSA as a single mother, you file as an independent student. This means only your own income and assets are counted in the financial aid formula — not your parents’ finances, not a partner’s income, not anyone else’s. For many single mothers whose income falls in the low to moderate range, this results in a significant Pell Grant eligibility and strong need-based aid packages that traditional college-age students simply don’t qualify for.
Beyond federal aid, a huge number of private scholarships, foundation grants, and state programs specifically target adult learners, single parents, and women returning to education after a gap. These programs exist precisely because the people who fund them understand that single mothers face unique financial barriers to education and they want to help remove them.
The funding is real. The challenge is knowing where it is.
Start Here — The Federal Pell Grant
Before anything else, file your FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the gateway to the largest single source of grant money available to single mothers going back to school.
The Pell Grant is a federal grant for students with demonstrated financial need. It does not need to be repaid. For the 2025-2026 award year the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395 per year. As a single mother filing as an independent student, your eligibility is based solely on your own income and the number of people in your household — which includes your children.
A single mother with two children earning $30,000 per year will likely qualify for the maximum or near-maximum Pell Grant. A single mother earning $45,000 with three children may still qualify for a partial award. The only way to know exactly what you qualify for is to file the FAFSA and see your Student Aid Index.
File your FAFSA as early as possible after October 1 each year. State grant programs in many states award funds on a first-come first-served basis and the earlier you file the better your position in that queue.
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is an additional federal grant program for students with exceptional financial need. Awards range from $100 to $4,000 per year and are awarded through individual colleges rather than directly by the federal government.
Because FSEOG funds are limited and distributed by colleges to their neediest students, they tend to go to students who file their FAFSA early and demonstrate the highest financial need. As a single mother with a low to moderate income, you are likely among the students these funds are designed for.
Not every college participates in the FSEOG program. Check with the financial aid office at the schools you are considering to confirm whether they award FSEOG and what their process is for allocating it.
State Grant Programs — Some of the Best Money Available
Every state in the US has its own financial aid programs and many of them are particularly generous to adult learners and single parents. These programs are completely separate from federal aid and stack on top of your Pell Grant eligibility.
Here are some of the strongest state programs worth researching depending on where you live:
California’s Cal Grant program awards significant funding to low and moderate income students including adult learners returning to school. The Cal Grant B award specifically supports students from low-income backgrounds with living expenses as well as tuition.
New York’s Tuition Assistance Program provides grants to New York residents attending in-state colleges. The award amounts are based on income and tuition costs and are available to both traditional and non-traditional students including single parents returning to education.
Texas has the TEXAS Grant program for students with financial need attending public universities and colleges in the state. Adult learners and returning students are eligible.
Washington State’s College Grant is one of the most generous state grant programs in the country for low and moderate income students. Single mothers in Washington attending community colleges or four-year universities should research this program specifically.
Search your state name alongside “adult learner grant” or “returning student financial aid” to find programs specific to where you live. Your state’s higher education agency website is the most reliable source for this information.
Scholarships Specifically for Single Mothers
Beyond federal and state grants, a meaningful number of private scholarships are created specifically for single mothers pursuing higher education. These are worth pursuing alongside your need-based aid because they do not reduce your grant eligibility in most cases.
The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation
This foundation awards grants to low-income women with children who are pursuing education or training programs. Awards of $5,000 are made to women who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to improving their lives and their children’s lives through education. Apply at patsyminkfoundation.org.
The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award
Soroptimist International awards grants to women who are the primary financial supporters of their families and who are pursuing education or training to improve their economic situations. Awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 and are available through local Soroptimist clubs across the United States. Apply at soroptimist.org.
The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund
This fund awards scholarships to low-income women aged 35 and older who are pursuing technical or vocational education or a bachelor’s degree. Single mothers who are returning to education later in life and meet the income criteria are a strong fit for this award. Apply here!
The Unigo $10K Scholarship
While not exclusively for single mothers, Unigo’s scholarship is open to any student regardless of GPA, income, or background and requires only a short essay response. It is worth including in your regular scholarship application rotation.
State-Specific Single Parent Scholarships
Many states have scholarship programs specifically for single parents. Search your state name alongside “single parent scholarship” or “single mother scholarship” to find programs operating in your area. Community foundations in your county or city are also worth contacting directly — many of them award locally funded scholarships to single parents that never appear in national scholarship databases.
The Childcare Access Means Parents in School Program
This is one of the most practically important programs for single mothers going back to college and one of the least talked about.
The Child Care Access Means Parents in School program — called CCAMPIS — is a federally funded program that provides childcare subsidies to low-income parents attending college. It is administered through individual colleges and universities and helps single parents cover the cost of childcare while they attend classes.
Not every college participates in CCAMPIS. Contact the financial aid or student services office at schools you are considering and ask directly whether they have a CCAMPIS program and what the eligibility criteria are. For single mothers with young children this program can make the difference between being able to attend classes consistently and not.
Employer Tuition Assistance — An Option Worth Considering
If you are currently working, your employer may offer tuition assistance benefits that you are not taking advantage of. Many large employers in the United States offer partial or full tuition reimbursement to employees who pursue relevant degrees or certifications.
Amazon, Walmart, Target, Starbucks, UPS, Chipotle, Home Depot, and dozens of other major employers have tuition assistance programs that cover significant portions of education costs for qualifying employees. Some of these programs are available to part-time workers as well as full-time.
Check your employee benefits package or speak with your HR department specifically about education assistance. If your employer offers it and you are not using it you are leaving money on the table that requires no separate application process beyond what your company requires internally.
Community Organizations and Local Resources
Single mothers going back to school often overlook the resources available through local community organizations because they don’t think of them as financial aid sources. But local resources can be surprisingly significant.
Local United Way chapters often have emergency assistance funds and referral services that help single parents cover education-related costs.
Community Action Agencies in most counties offer programs specifically for low-income adults pursuing education including assistance with childcare, transportation, and sometimes tuition costs.
Local workforce development boards administer federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds that can pay for education and training programs for adults who meet income criteria. These programs are particularly valuable for single mothers pursuing vocational or technical training.
Your college’s own emergency fund is worth knowing about. Most colleges maintain a small emergency fund for students facing sudden financial crises — a car repair that threatens their ability to get to class, an unexpected childcare expense, a utility shutoff. These funds are typically small but they exist and are available to enrolled students who ask.
How to Balance School, Work, and Parenting — The Practical Reality
This section is not about money but it is about something that affects whether the money you find is enough on its own — because funding is only part of what makes going back to school work as a single mother.
Online and hybrid programs have genuinely transformed access to education for single parents. A degree program where the majority of coursework can be completed on your own schedule after the kids are in bed or during nap time is a fundamentally different proposition from a program that requires you to be physically present on campus five days a week at 8am.
Community colleges are particularly good starting points for single mothers because they are designed around nontraditional students. Flexible scheduling, evening and weekend classes, strong student support services, and lower costs make them an accessible entry point that many single mothers use before transferring to a four-year program.
Before you enroll anywhere, have an honest conversation with yourself about your support system. Going back to school as a single mother is absolutely doable — thousands of women do it every year and succeed — but it requires a realistic plan for who watches the children when you are in class or studying, how you will handle school disruptions or sick days, and what you will do when the inevitable hard week arrives where everything seems to be happening at once.
The women who succeed are rarely the ones with the easiest circumstances. They are the ones who planned honestly, asked for help when they needed it, and kept going when it got hard.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grants for Single Mothers Going Back to School
What is the best grant for single mothers going back to school? The federal Pell Grant is the largest and most accessible grant available to single mothers with financial need. As an independent student filing the FAFSA based only on your own income, many single mothers qualify for the maximum Pell Grant of $7,395 per year. State grants and institutional grants from your college stack on top of this.
Do single mothers qualify as independent students on the FAFSA? Yes. Single mothers are considered independent students on the FAFSA regardless of age. This means only your own income and assets are counted in the financial aid formula — not your parents’ finances. This typically results in significantly higher aid eligibility compared to dependent students.
Can single mothers get free money for college that doesn’t have to be repaid? Yes. Pell Grants, state grants, institutional grants from colleges, and private scholarships are all forms of gift aid that do not need to be repaid. The key is filing your FAFSA as early as possible and actively researching private scholarships in addition to need-based grants.
Are there scholarships specifically for single mothers? Yes. The Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, the Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award, the Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund, and many state and local programs award scholarships specifically to single mothers or low-income women with children pursuing education.
What if I can’t afford childcare while I go to school? Research the CCAMPIS program at colleges you are considering — it provides federally funded childcare subsidies to low-income parents attending college. Community Action Agencies in your county and local childcare assistance programs through your state’s social services department are also worth contacting.
Can I go back to school while receiving government assistance like SNAP or Medicaid? Yes and going back to school may actually improve your eligibility for certain assistance programs by increasing your demonstrated need. Check with your caseworker about how enrollment in school affects your specific benefits — rules vary by program and state.
What is the fastest degree a single mother can complete while working? Associate degrees at community colleges typically take two years full time or three to four years part time. Vocational and certificate programs can be completed in as little as six months to one year. Online programs with flexible scheduling make it possible to complete many degrees while working full time. The fastest path depends entirely on what field you want to enter.
Is it worth going back to school as a single mother financially? For most single mothers the long-term financial return on a degree or vocational credential is significant. The key is choosing a field with genuine job market demand and keeping your debt as low as possible by maximizing grants, scholarships, and employer assistance. A degree that costs you nothing or close to nothing in net debt and leads to a $15,000 to $25,000 increase in annual earning potential is a strong financial decision by almost any measure.
Sources U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid — studentaid.gov Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation — patsyminkfoundation.org Soroptimist International Live Your Dream Award — soroptimist.org HRSA Childcare Access Means Parents in School — hrsa.gov
