Women interested in furthering their postsecondary education should know that there are women education grants available. Education grants for women can be based upon academic performance, athletic ability, field of study, geographical area, etc.
As a woman interested in furthering your education, you should apply for women education grants even if you think your academic performance is low. It is possible the women’s education grant may be based upon an additional area in which you excel. After all, the government, foundations, and community organizations awarding women education grants are working towards implementing effective programs to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation of female students.
Women education grants are one of the largest segments of restricted scholarships available. There are millions in women education grants, if you can identify a grant opportunity that fits your need. The two types of women education grants are scholarships and Pell grants. A Pell Grant is money the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college. It is income based and although women can apply it is open to all low-income students.
A scholarship may be limited to women only or may be open to all who meet the set criteria. A scholarship is an award of funds to pay for tuition and in some cases books, room and board, etc. Scholarships are flexible in there criteria, which usually reflects the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award. Foundations are able to award women education grants to students based upon the donor or founder’s preferences, which is why the criteria for awards differ in each situation. It is important to create a competitive application when applying for an education grant for women, since more and more women are taking advantage of scholarships to pay for tuition.
There are also women education grants available to you if you are interested in pursuing certified vocational courses or on-the-job training. Women education grants offered for training is usually offered by not-for-profits to women living in a targeted geographical area. In some instances, the not-for-profit will have staff to provide the additional training or technical assistance directly to you.
As a high school student looking for women education grant opportunities, the best place to begin your search is your school counselor or the financial department of the university/college of your choice. If you are not a HS student, the library offers online access and would be an excellent way to search for women education grants.