Single Moms Thrive With Online Education And So Do Their Kids
Many single mothers can't be blamed for feeling trapped. It's difficult to hold down a home, take care of their children, and maintain a job (generally at a very low wage) all at once. Time is at an absolute premium. Continuing her education feels like one too many things she has to do, even though it would benefit her family and her career.
In fact, many single mothers know having even a vocational certificate would dramatically increase their household income and offer them better access to jobs with health insurance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average salary for a woman without a high school diploma, which is the status of most single mothers, is $25,000. The government agency study reports a woman increases her wages by 76% - that's an additional $19,000 - with a four year college degree. Even if she just has a two year associate degree, it goes to $608 a week or over $31,000 a year.
There are other perks besides better wages and benefits. The increase in position can lead to increased status and credit, which in turn can be parlayed into better living conditions, credit plans, college savings programs for the kids and maybe even a retirement program.
As for affording the education, there are a number of private and public programs to help the single mother pull herself up by her bootstraps. Besides examining such standard federal programs as the Pell Grant and the SEOG, a single mother is very often capable of getting public assistance. This might mean swallowing a little pride, but it could help when it comes to such things as rent, food and childcare.
As for private institutions, there are quite a few. Among them are the Sunshine Lady Foundation, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship and the R.O.S.E. Scholarship. Women should also check with their local state, as many have programs such as the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship.
Another way a woman can help herself and her children is to enroll in an online college. Her immediate advantages are two-fold: First, as classes can be engaged in with her schedule in mind, she can take them in and around the job and her children, such as when they are at school or asleep. Secondly, the mom stays accessible to her family in case of an unusual situation, such as being called to a school teacher's conference or if her child gets hurt.
Most important, one thing that has been discovered is that if a child sees his or her mom making the extra effort to advance herself, the child will emulate this behavior. The kids will start doing their homework when their mother does hers. They are more likely to pitch in on housework and they in turn become more responsible.
In all, there are a number of ways a woman can benefit from an online degree course, both in the short term and long. Yes, online education involves adjusting your life a bit and making some changes in your time management, but the benefits will outweigh the costs many times over.
Many single mothers can't be blamed for feeling trapped. It's difficult to hold down a home, take care of their children, and maintain a job (generally at a very low wage) all at once. Time is at an absolute premium. Continuing her education feels like one too many things she has to do, even though it would benefit her family and her career.
In fact, many single mothers know having even a vocational certificate would dramatically increase their household income and offer them better access to jobs with health insurance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average salary for a woman without a high school diploma, which is the status of most single mothers, is $25,000. The government agency study reports a woman increases her wages by 76% - that's an additional $19,000 - with a four year college degree. Even if she just has a two year associate degree, it goes to $608 a week or over $31,000 a year.
There are other perks besides better wages and benefits. The increase in position can lead to increased status and credit, which in turn can be parlayed into better living conditions, credit plans, college savings programs for the kids and maybe even a retirement program.
As for affording the education, there are a number of private and public programs to help the single mother pull herself up by her bootstraps. Besides examining such standard federal programs as the Pell Grant and the SEOG, a single mother is very often capable of getting public assistance. This might mean swallowing a little pride, but it could help when it comes to such things as rent, food and childcare.
As for private institutions, there are quite a few. Among them are the Sunshine Lady Foundation, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship and the R.O.S.E. Scholarship. Women should also check with their local state, as many have programs such as the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship.
Another way a woman can help herself and her children is to enroll in an online college. Her immediate advantages are two-fold: First, as classes can be engaged in with her schedule in mind, she can take them in and around the job and her children, such as when they are at school or asleep. Secondly, the mom stays accessible to her family in case of an unusual situation, such as being called to a school teacher's conference or if her child gets hurt.
Most important, one thing that has been discovered is that if a child sees his or her mom making the extra effort to advance herself, the child will emulate this behavior. The kids will start doing their homework when their mother does hers. They are more likely to pitch in on housework and they in turn become more responsible.
In all, there are a number of ways a woman can benefit from an online degree course, both in the short term and long. Yes, online education involves adjusting your life a bit and making some changes in your time management, but the benefits will outweigh the costs many times over.
Many single mothers can't be blamed for feeling trapped. It's difficult to hold down a home, take care of their children, and maintain a job (generally at a very low wage) all at once. Time is at an absolute premium. Continuing her education feels like one too many things she has to do, even though it would benefit her family and her career.
In fact, many single mothers know having even a vocational certificate would dramatically increase their household income and offer them better access to jobs with health insurance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average salary for a woman without a high school diploma, which is the status of most single mothers, is $25,000. The government agency study reports a woman increases her wages by 76% - that's an additional $19,000 - with a four year college degree. Even if she just has a two year associate degree, it goes to $608 a week or over $31,000 a year.
There are other perks besides better wages and benefits. The increase in position can lead to increased status and credit, which in turn can be parlayed into better living conditions, credit plans, college savings programs for the kids and maybe even a retirement program.
As for affording the education, there are a number of private and public programs to help the single mother pull herself up by her bootstraps. Besides examining such standard federal programs as the Pell Grant and the SEOG, a single mother is very often capable of getting public assistance. This might mean swallowing a little pride, but it could help when it comes to such things as rent, food and childcare.
As for private institutions, there are quite a few. Among them are the Sunshine Lady Foundation, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation, W.I.S.P. Change Your World Scholarship and the R.O.S.E. Scholarship. Women should also check with their local state, as many have programs such as the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship.
Another way a woman can help herself and her children is to enroll in an online college. Her immediate advantages are two-fold: First, as classes can be engaged in with her schedule in mind, she can take them in and around the job and her children, such as when they are at school or asleep. Secondly, the mom stays accessible to her family in case of an unusual situation, such as being called to a school teacher's conference or if her child gets hurt.
Most important, one thing that has been discovered is that if a child sees his or her mom making the extra effort to advance herself, the child will emulate this behavior. The kids will start doing their homework when their mother does hers. They are more likely to pitch in on housework and they in turn become more responsible.
In all, there are a number of ways a woman can benefit from an online degree course, both in the short term and long. Yes, online education involves adjusting your life a bit and making some changes in your time management, but the benefits will outweigh the costs many times over.
