Single Mothers Gain From Earning Their College Degree Online
Online college for single moms can bring many benefits. Single mothers enrolled in online college classes and online degree programs might even find that the experience ultimately boosts their health and the health of their children.
Completing higher education has been tied to good health on the part of graduates and their children according to a report from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education. Online college classes and online degree programs, like scholarships, fellowships, grants and other grants for single moms, can help make continuing education a reality for single mothers.
Online college for single moms brings with it a greater ability to continue working and raising the children without interruption. Single mothers enrolled in online college classes and online degree programs can devote their child’s nap, school and bed time to their studies. Likewise, single mothers opting for online college don’t have to spend excess money on childcare, vehicle maintenance, gas or public transportation. So for single moms, college classes and degree programs taken online can also equate to a bit of a financial savings.
The majority of students enrolled in college are women, and many of them work and have families to care for as well, according to reports. Studies have also suggested that college can help single moms broaden their horizons and interact more with others. Some online college classes and grants for college are said to allow single mothers and others an opportunity to participate in interactive communities.
For single moms, college courses taken online now can also equate to an improved quality of life in the near future, studies suggest.
More highly educated women tend to spend more time with their children and during that time help to prepare their children for the future, according to reports. College graduates often make better buying decisions, have bigger savings accounts, and enjoy more hobbies and leisure activities, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Single mothers and others who complete online college might also find themselves more open-minded, cultured, rational, consistent and less authoritarian, a Carnegie Foundation Report on the completion of higher education in general suggests.
Ultimately, a single mom’s college degree can help boost her marketability, income potential and job security. The National Center for Children in Poverty reports that the majority of adolescents in low-income families live with single moms and dads and parents who have not obtained college degrees. In 2007, people with bachelor degrees earned an annual median $51,324 – about $20,000 more than high school graduates without college degrees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For grants for single moms, college classes taken online can be more affordable with the help of grants, fellowships, scholarships, loans and work study programs. In addition to general college assistance programs for those who financially qualify, there are tuition assistance programs available exclusively to single mothers.
