Online Education: Financial Support for Women

Today, more and more women are enrolling in college - in fact, more than half, or 57 percent, of college students in the United States in 2005 were women, according to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics.

And online education is among the popular choices for college-bound women, especially for working moms. However, deciding to go to college takes more than choosing a major and finding a school. It takes money as well.

Many working moms might think twice about continuing their higher education when faced with this financial dilemma. However, there are several resources out there specifically designed to help women succeed in education. Here are just a few.

The U.S. Government

In order to help moms, and dads, of low-income or single-parent households, the U.S. government offers a variety of special loans and grants that are designed to assist individuals in improving their lives.

To help you find the right loan or grant to meet your needs, the government developed GovBenefits.gov, a searchable website with information on more than 1,000 benefits and assistance programs.

On this site, you can find programs that not only cover a person's education costs but also will assist in paying for other necessities, including child care, counseling, energy assistance, food, health care, insurance and housing.

To find out if you are eligible for a government loan or grant, you can visit GovBenefits.gov and fill out the online questionnaire.

Federal Student Aid

If you are planning to attend college and might need some financial assistance along the way, one of the first steps you should take is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. And pursuing an online education is no exception.

You can complete the FAFSA online by visiting the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website. The deadline for submitting the application is typically June 30 of every year.

Before deciding on an online program, you should determine whether or not the course you are considering is an eligible federal student aid program. You will need to find out if the institution offering the course is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education specifically for the accreditation of distance education.

Typically, you can find out if an institution is accredited and eligible for federal student aid funds from the school's website. You also can find out online if a college is accredited via the U.S. Department of Education's Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.

Scholarships

For women returning to school, there are myriad scholarship opportunities specifically developed just for women.

One of the best places to begin your search for scholarships is professional organizations. Among the best known is the American Association of University Women, which offers more than 250 grants, fellowship and awards to women through its AAUW Educational Foundation. These sources of funding can assist women in changing careers, advancing in the workplace, re-entering the workforce or enrolling in a degree program in which participation has been traditionally male.

In addition to professional organizations, industry-specific organizations often offer scholarships for those pursuing higher education. For example, the Society of Women Engineers' SWE Scholarship Program offers more than 130 scholarships to women who are accepted to accredited baccalaureate or graduate programs to gain knowledge and preparation for careers in computer science and engineering.

Even the AARP, through its Women's Scholarship Program, provides scholarship fund to women. Eligible applicants for this scholarship opportunity are women who are 40 or older, have a demonstrated financial need and will be enrolled in an accredited school or technical program within six months of the scholarship award date.