So What are Grants?

Many misconceived notions exist about grants. The most popular being that a grant is simply a loan with a more user friendly name. Or that a grant is a loan which you don't have to pay back right away. Neither of these are true. In fact a grant is a sum of money paid to a person without need for recompense. In other words, you don't need to pay them back. So what kind of grants are available?

The answer is: Many.

There are grants available for everything from schooling, to personal needs grants, car grants, grants to start up a new business and housing grants. Typically, most "grant" programs are given out to non-profit organizations, businesses, and students. We will look at some of the specific programs later on in the post.

What About a Scholarship?

If you have plans to go back to school or you are trying to drum up money to afford some sort of education program, there's a number of ways to get that funding. Scholarships are one of the big ways. The best way to land a scholarship is to head to your local college financial aid office and get a list of scholarships you can apply for.

There are even special scholarship sweepstakes offered by websites. For example, one of the more popular sweepstake education scholarships on the web is the 10k Scholarships for Working Adults in which you sign up for the scholarship on the web, then get a chance to win 10k draw towards your education expenses. Any mom or dad can apply for this scholarship. For a similar sweepstake contest, there's the $10k Scholarship for Mom program . And if you are a dad, you might look at the $10k Scholarship for Dads.

Now there are a few things we need to get out of the way. First off, despite what many other (fraudulent I may add) websites may claim, there is not this giant bucked of grant money just waiting for every desperate single mom to dig into. It's hard to get free money from the government or any other source. There are no, as far as I'm aware of, federal grants for single mother specifically.  There are no such thing as OBAMA grants (this is a scam by the way).  The federal government ONLY gives out grants for students, grants for organizations, and grants for individuals. There are, however, state grants for single moms of sorts, and various private grants for single moms. The worst part about all these grants is that due lack of knowledge, much of the funding set aside for these grants get used! So let's take a few moments to discuss some grants available to single mothers.

Educational Grants for Single Mothers

By far the biggest selection of grants open to single mothers is in the education subcategory. Primarily because the general consensus is that if a single mother can better her life through education, then she will also be able to provide a better life for her children. There are quite a few different sources for mom, as well as government funded grants, money is available from private scholarships and some universities even offer financial aid for moms.

Now by far, the first most widely heard of grant is the Pell grant. The Pell grant is a government provided grant of up to $5550, which a person can use to fund all or part of their studies. While the Pell grant is not solely for single parents, the application for one requires that you fill in a FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which largely uses incomes based figures to make it's decision. That means most single moms should qualify. If you don't want to apply for the Pell grant you could try the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). Again, you do need to have filled out a FASFA in order to apply. Should you need more money almost every state has a grant opportunity for single mothers. Check out the State Higher Education Agency for more detailed information on what is available in your state.

Not all educational grants are supplied by the government. As stated above, the 10k Scholarship for Working Adults awards a $10,000 scholarship every month in a giveaway draw; filling out the form is easy and well worth the 5 minutes it takes for the chance at the money. If you are a dad, there is another 10k scholarship offered to dads.

You can get help directly from colleges themselves. Many universities and colleges offer financial aid or scholarships to single parents such as:

• The College of Dupage Foundation Single Parent Scholarship
• Kirkwood Community College Single Parent Scholarship
• Minnesota State University Coplan Donohue Single Parent Scholarship
• University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Single Parent Scholarship

The downside is, of course ,you must be attending that specific university to be able to access the funds which they have available. If you cannot afford to pay for childcare, many study at home universities also offer help for single moms. On top of the government, state and university opportunities there are also grants and scholarships financed by private companies to consider.

• The Jeannette Rankin Foundation Scholarships offers grants to woman based on the belief that education is often the only way that a woman can lift her family and herself out of poverty..
• The Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity Awards gives grants out that allow women to open up opportunities for themselves, which they would otherwise not have had access to.
• The Association on American Indian Affairs Displaced Homemaker Scholarships offers funds to American Indians who have delayed their education due to family responsibilities. More info here.
• The Association of Nontraditional Students in Higher Education Scholarships aims to provide non traditional students (IE: single parents) with access to the higher education they might otherwise be denied.

A point to remember is that most of these grants are FASFA based so it's important for you to get your form in after January 1st quickly. If you are a single mother needing money for education then there really are a lot of different opportunities out there. It may take a while to find out which opportunity is the best one for you, but one way or another you should find the education that you desire within your financial grasp.

Housing Grants for Single Mothers

As wages fall it seems that housing costs go up. In Out of Reach 2010 study most of the USA's 38 million renters are struggling to pay skyrocketing rents. In fact to comfortably pay the rent of an average two bed-roomed apartment, (at a national average of $959) a person would have to earn at least $18.44 an hour in their full time job. Based on the national minimum wage of a measly $7.25 per hour, it's easy to see why people struggle. Of course this is a situation made worse for single moms as they  usually have to manage on one part time wage. Add to that the larger sized home needs to accommodate their family, it paints a very grim picture. None the less hope is not lost! There is help at hand. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a number of ways in which it can help single families. Built specifically to offer reasonably priced homes for families, they retain a range of subsidized housing throughout the US. For those who can't move or who own their own home, they do offer a few grants for low income families. Most well known are the hosing choice vouchers issued by the Public and Indian housing (PHA) department of the HUD. These vouchers are issued to families to help meet the costs of housing. You do not have to reside in subsidized housing nor do you need to pay back the funds allocated to you. HUD offers far more than just vouchers, they also have grants. An example of one is the Family Unification Grant. Up for award by December 1st the Family Unification Grant has a $15 million budget specifically designed to help families stay together in appropriate housing. For more information on renting affordable housing in your state click here.

Child Care Grants for Single Mothers

For many singles moms the ability to work relies heavily on the ability to procure childcare at a reasonable rate. Often the hour rate of a babysitter can be as high, or even higher, than the wages paid to a lot of lower income workers. To help prevent the situation where going to work actually costs you money, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) have decided to step in. One grant provided by them is the Child Care and Development Bock Grant. Issued to local states and territories the money is divided up so that single parents and low income families can afford access to adequate, good, quality childcare allowing single moms the ability to rejoin the work force.

Business Grants for Single Mothers

The government usually offers little in the way of grants for individuals, but for people (and moms) interested in starting a new small business, there may be some funding available for you. The government is in love with education, businesses, and non-profit community help organizations and these are the areas that the government will toss down an abundance of grant money. If you are interested in business grants, you NEED to have a legitimate business plan in mind. You will be asked to write a very detailed proposal about your business and there is a very specific set of steps you will need to follow to get a business grant. This is not some kind of grant you fill an online 5-minute application and send it off. Real money is given out here and there are also some real expectations on the part of the government as well. They won't give money out for businesses that are not likely to succeed or for business ideas that have a lot of holes in them. I HIGHLY suggest you read a business grant-writing book for information on how to PROPERLY apply for business grants.

How to Find a Grant

In summary, there are grants out there for whatever you need them for. Some of them are kind of hard to find, but if you use a site such as grants.gov you will be able to search a vast number of grants available to almost every situation you can imagine. There are a few things worth keeping in mind, most grants are income based so make sure that you have the paperwork needed to prove your income. Never be lie on a grant application or apply for more than you actually need; This will only increase your chance of being rejected. Grant applications are often lengthy and can involve peculiar wording so it may be well worth your time taking your application form to your local citizens advice center or even paying a visit to your local library and seeing if they have a book specifically about filling in grant applications.  The time invested could pay out in time saved, should your application get rejected due to a simple mistake. The most easily accessible grants, and ironically enough, the ones least often claimed are the grants that are available on your very doorstep. A trip to your local town office or library can often bring to light a wealth of grants that many people have simply never heard of. So remember:

• A trip to the library can be invaluable.
• Start local – your town office.
• Search online.
• Have all your paperwork on hand.
• Know how much you are looking for.
• Never lie on a grant application.
• Be persistent.

Other Ways for Single Mothers to Get Money Besides Grants

Don't think that grants and scholarships are the only ways to get money. If you are willing to work, there may be some work at home opportunities that you can pursue as a single mom. Now to be sure, 99% of the work-at-home programs you find online are complete scams. But there are a couple. Filling out Surveys Online is one way to make money. Basically, you fill surveys out and get paid per each survey. It's all legit and while you are not paid extraordinary amounts of money, if you put in a few hours here and there, you get a part time income. I've even heard of some moms going at it full time and paying all the bills. There are also some legit work-at-home training programs you can find as a single mom. If you have basic computer skills and you can write fluent English, you stand a good chance of landing some part time work online, blogging, writing articles for web masters, or assisting with online tasks. I personally recommend RealWritingJobs.com as a good place to seek that work out.

Let's go over a list of SOME of the possible the opportunities online work opportunities

• Fill Out Surveys -- Fill out surveys and get paid
• Write Articles for Web Content -- write articles for money at places like freelancer.com, craigslist.com, etc. Requires you to be able to write well
• Web Development -- learn how to built websites for clients. This may take some schooling on your part -- night classes at a community college for example. There are a number of websites that will match you with an appropriate online school.
• Online Marketing -- you can learn how to sell products and market things online
• Ebay Business -- buy and sell products on eBay. Possible to do quite well like this
• SEO -- learn how to rank websites. There is a big niche market doing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) work for websites

So there you have it, some ways to earn a living or part time living from home. There are way more opportunities out there than just these, but my small list will get you start. Work from home jobs for moms allow you the flexibility to stay at home with the kids while working -- every single mom's dream. Keep in mind that NON of these programs are the get rich quick type schemes many work-at-home jobs offer. If it sounds to good to be true, it ALWAYS IS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, ladies. To earn money, you are going to have to put in the time and effort and nothing comes for free, so don't fall for those type of scams offered online.

Final Word

Remember, you need to explore as many sources as possible. Our recommendation to you single moms and dads is to think deeply about your financial situation and how you can make permanent changes. You want to make changes where you can make a secure future for yourself and your children. What's the point in simply getting a bit of financial help in the form of money only to need more help in a few months down the road? Do you want to spend your life in this situation, living from month to month?

The best way to change your life is to get education so you CAN qualify for better job opportunities. And if you can't afford to go back to school, there absolutely is money there for you to make it possible (you'll still have to work your butt off though). Fill out the FAFSA form, apply for the 10k Scholarship, check out the government's financial aid site, take a look to see if your state provides education assistance, and then contact your college financial aid office for a list of financial aid programs available to you! Working a part time job to save money up for school is also pretty important too -- you might not be able to fund your entire schooling just off student loans, scholarships, and grants alone!

If you do get turned down for a grant don't be disappointed, there are many measures in place to ensure that the grants go to people who need them. Sadly there are some people who don't need the grants who will try to claim them purely for financial gain. Find out why you were turned down. It could just be a simple error on your form. So happy grant hunting and good luck in getting access to money you need.

But no matter where you are, getting a grant as a single mother can seem like a daunting and lengthy process. Fortunately, Canadian grants for single mothers can open a door to other areas and free up your time and energy to be focused completely on your child. There are many ways to access these grants so you need to be ready to put in a lot of effort.

You will never find yourself in a more difficult situation than having to provide for your child as well as yourself. This can create huge levels of pressure and stress that can be eradicated with a successful grant application. Caring for a child covers a lot of areas. Money will be needed to feed them, clothe them and pay for their education.

Scholarship and Grant Program for Both US and Canadian Moms

Now before we list some of the Canadian scholarship programs available for the single moms out there, there are a few programs that both Canadians and American's can apply for in terms of scholarship funding. Quite a few people have emailed me asking what sort of school scholarships are available.

As I've stated elsewhere, there are basically two kinds of grant programs: government and private grants. Private grants should be definitely looked at as a source of grant funding. But they are hard to find.

Also consider web-based sweepstake programs...

One of the best sweepstakes that target moms going back to school that I've come across is the $10,000 Scholarship for Working Adults. This is a program created just for mothers who want to go to school. It's more of a contest giveaway program than a traditional scholarship/grant -- what you do is fill out the application (takes a few minutes only) and you are entered to win a 10,000 dollar drawing each month. A similar program just for dads also exist called the $10,000 Dad Scholarship too.

Now, for scholarship and grant programs just for Canadians, let's take a look.

It is important that you are well aware of two or three Canadian grant avenues that you could choose to travel down. This article will take a deep look at one or two of the possibilities that are on offer to you. Never forget that grants are there to help you and although it may seem like the process is not designed in your favor, it really is.

Canadian school scholarships or grants are a great way to help out with education. If you are on a very low income then Canadian officials will do everything they can to make sure you never have to worry about your child’s education. You yourself could even apply for one because it will allow you to take that step back into further education and enhance your qualifications in order to apply for better and more lucrative jobs.

Always be prepared at every stage because sooner or later evidence will be required. If you already have this at hand to produce then it will make the officials happy and they will be more likely to go a bit further to help you out. In order for your child to qualify as well you will need to prove that they are very intelligent and they may even be subjected to one or two small tests.

So let's get to business. What are the Canadian grant programs you can look at? The answer depends on what you intend to do and what you need and how many children you have.

For students, there are a host of financial aid programs. The Student Finance Agency in Canada will often be able to free up a lot more funds than would be possible within the United States. This is because the currency in Canada is not as strong as the American dollar but it is also because the state funding system in relation to education is a lot more thorough. However, be warned that Canadian grants are extremely popular so you need to be prepared for rejection before you will ultimately get anywhere. Because there are so many finanical aid grants for Canadian mothers going to school, let's look at these first.

Canadian Financial Aid Grants for Single Mothers

The Canadian government knows that single parent families often struggle to make ends meet. For moms looking to go back to school, you can apply for Federal Canadian student aid – which operates much like the United States FAFSA. Many times, candidates will need to submit the previous year’s tax records.

Some recent 2010 grant news is the Canadian Student Grants Program (called CSGP) which combines different federal student grant programs into a single, unified program. This program aims to help single moms pursue their education. In 2009-20010 year, this program has helped over two hundred thousand students continue their education. Here is a list of some of the grants under this program:

• Canada Student Grant for Persons from Low-Income Families
  This is a grant that gives 250 dollars every month for low income qualified students who are eligible to apply for Canadian federal student loans. This program is only available to undergraduate and graduate students (i.e. you must be going to college or university as a low income student).
• Canada Student Grant for Persons with Permanent Disabilities
  This is a grant, as per the name, for middle income to lower class students who qualify for the federal student loans. Each month, the student receives 100 dollar for studies.
• Canada student grant for persons with permanent disabilities
  This is a grant for the handicapped students. Each year, students who qualify will be given over 2000 dollars to help with educational costs.
• Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Persons with Permanent Disabilities
  This is a special grant the helps pay for specific expenses like tutors or interpreters. You must be disabled to qualify and the amount given is a maximum of 8000 dollars.
• Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Students with Dependents
  This is a grant for single moms who pursue part time education. This is only a grant for mothers. Each week, single moms are given to 40 dollars per each child under the age of 12 years.
• Canada Student Grant for Persons with Dependents
  This is given out for mothers. Each month, 200 dollars is given for each child under the age of 12. This is for students.
• Canada Student grant for Part Time Studies
  This is more of a scholarship that targets part-time students. The grant amount is for 1200 each year.

As you see, there are PLENTY of grants available for single mothers or mothers from low income families that want to go to school. There are also plenty of scholarships to. You should check out the government student loans site.

Now if you are NOT a student or have no intention of going to school, there is less funding available. Canada has a very accessible welfare program that provides money for rent, food, and basic expenses. The more children you have, the more money you are entitled too. While the amount you can claim in welfare benefits is not enough to make you financially secure, it is possible to survive completely. The idea behind Canadian welfare is to give single mothers a chance at improving their life through either finding a better job or looking at some other sort of opportunity like school, in which case you can apply for the school grants listed above.

Canadian grants for single mothers are effectively a ticket to greater freedom. This could be the ticket that pays for your child’s future and takes a huge weight off your mind. Always prepare well and make sure there are no reasons at all that your application for a grant could be rejected for. The more prepared you are then the more successful you are likely to be.

Note, you might find this Canadian financial assistance for single parents website helpful.

How to Apply for a General Canadian Grant

Watch the video below for a basic outline on how to apply for a grant. This apply for general grants and is a must watch if you are serious about grants.

Life as a single mother can be very hectic and you may be trying to do a million things at a million miles per hour. The daily chores can often cover a lot of ground and if you do not have good means of transport then these chores can become very difficult. Donated cars for single mothers is a government initiated program to get you an automobile that will make these daily chores a lot easier.

Instantly you may be thinking that you do not have the cash to buy a car or even rent one but you do not have to worry because there could be an ideal vehicle for you somewhere. Do not expect a Rolls Royce because the function of any program is to increase practicality and not lace your life with luxury. The point is that a car could mean you do the school run, go food shopping and make social visits in a third of the time that it may have taken you before.

This article will look at donated cars for single mothers in a lot greater detail and how a car could make your life a lot easier. You will have to part with some money because it is unrealistic to expect a car to just be given to you for free.

Most states will offer a program that will allow you to buy or lease a car from another person who no longer sees any value in selling that car for a high figure. Be warned that these cars will not be attractive but they will still work. You will have to pay for the registration, title and insurance by yourself, which can amount to a hefty some each month.

The benefit of trading with these sort of people is that there is no chance of them ripping you off. They do have a massive financial reward to gain so there is no chance they will sail you down the river and rip you off. Get advice in these sort of transactions or maybe go and see the car with a friend who can look it over and tell you what the main problems are that may require fixing.

There is also a program called the Wheels-To-Work program where people will sell their cars to a contractor who will then lease it to you. If you lease that care for a contracted period of two years then you will own it outright. The money you will spend leasing it over those 104 weeks will be substantially less than you if you go and buy a car yourself.

Getting a donated car as a single moms is a very good way to improve your lifestyle and the pace at which you tackle every day. The state of the cars will often be low so you never have to worry about being ripped off over a bad deal. Err on the side of caution and always get some advice or help before you actually take a car because some can still cost a lot to run and mend if something should go wrong.
So to sum up the info presented in this article, here is how to get a free car:

• Check out the Wheels to Work Program
• Browse for FREE CAR giveaways on sites like Craigslist -- people do give away free cars sometimes.
• Talk to family members or friends to see if there are any old cars they are willing to part with