Women Grants – Importance & Procedure

Women have made great strides in areas of education. There are many women attending colleges and universities and receiving bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates. Without the help of women education grants, many women may not be able to achieve their goals and dreams. Education grants for women are available in the United States for women who want to attend college and universities, return to the workforce after raising a family or receive retraining or change careers. Single mothers use education grants to go back to school. Education grants for women are given to encourage women to seek degrees in both areas that are considered non-traditional as well as traditional areas of studies. Grants for women for education can be used to pay for their tuition, fees, books, research materials and supplies, living expenses, their transportation costs, and other approved education expenses. The average grants may range from $500 to $5,500 a year and does not have to be paid.

Sources of Grants

There are numerous private, government, organizations and corporations that provide grants to women. There are private donations as well. Professional business associations support the educational opportunities for women and provide a large number of grants. Corporations have realized the value of hiring women in all types of positions from senior to lower level positions and continue to encourage more women to pursue business careers. Medical or nursing schools may provide grants for women and may also require them to work in disadvantaged areas after they graduate.

Government Grants

Federal Pell Grants and other state grants are awarded to women to help fund their education. Pell grants are mainly for undergraduate degree seeking students. Many government grants are based upon financial need and recipients must demonstrate their needs by providing copies of financial documents. Grants may also be based upon whether you are freshmen, sophomore, junior or senior or whether you are in a graduate program. There are also minority grants available for women of certain ethnic backgrounds such as African American or Hispanic women.

Funders have requirements that must be met so it is important that grantees read the eligibility requirements carefully and apply early. There is a lot of competition for education grants these days. Grants for education are helping women achieve financially and making it possible for them to work in a field that may not be able to do so otherwise.