download print version
send page to a friend

Paying for Your Education: Financial Aid Resources for Women

Are you thinking about continuing your education? Colleges, universities, technical schools and other educational programs can help you professionally and personally. Whether you choose to pursue a degree, certificate or want to prepare for a specific job, taking courses can increase your career options.

Going to school can be expensive. Before you begin to finance your education, explore your options. Read school catalogues, talk to others who have attended the programs and ask plenty of questions. The golden rule in financial planning is “know what you are paying for.”

Finding Out About Student Aid
Federal and state programs award most financial aid. There are also institutional and private sources of aid. You can learn more about these aid programs from the following resources:

• Contact the financial aid administrator at an educational institution. Most financial aid offices can provide specific information on how to apply for scholarships, fellowships and loans available through the school. They should also be able to direct you to federal, state and private funding programs. Financial aid administrators can be very busy so don’t hesitate to contact them more than once.
  
  
• Ask the state higher education agency in your home state for information about financial aid. There are programs that are jointly funded by individual states and the U.S. Department of Education. Because financial aid names, requirements and award amounts will vary from state to state, be sure to get all relevant information before applying. To find out the address and telephone number of your state agency, call 1-800-433-3243.
  
  
• Visit your public library. Information about how to plan your career and pay for your education should be readily accessible at your nearest library in the form of school brochures, catalogues and books. Ask a librarian if you have trouble accessing any of these resources.
  
  
• Check with women’s organizations and foundations. In addition to Women Work!’s education and training programs that are accessible online, other groups such as the YWCA and the American Association of University Women can provide information about educational and career opportunities for women. In some instances, these organizations even offer workshops and courses for credit.
  
  
• If there is a state or county Commission on Women in your area, its staff members may be able to tell you about educational and career opportunities for local area women. State commissions are usually located in the state capital.
  
  
• If you or one of your family members is in the military, look to the education office at the nearest base station for information regarding educational and vocational opportunities on and off the base.
  

Choosing Your School Carefully
Prospective students should ask many questions when enrolling at an educational institution. At the very least, they should inquire about after graduation employment options, classrooms and equipment, and faculty qualifications of potential schools. Maximizing your educational opportunities means being comfortable and familiar with all the benefits and drawbacks your school will offer.

• Find out the school’s loan default rate. This rate refers to a school’s percentage of students who took out Stafford, PLUS or Supplemental Loans for Students and could not pay back the loan. If a school has a default rate of 25% or higher, you may not be able to get federally sponsored financial aid to cover it.
  
  
• Understand your school’s refund policy. Most school policies will allow you to recover part of your expenses if you decide to withdraw from the school term after it has started. Because refunds typically involve strict deadlines, inquire about your school’s policy before enrolling.
  
  
• Check the school’s accreditation. To ensure that your degree will help you advance, make sure that your school is properly accredited. Accreditation means that a private educational agency has evaluated and determined that a school has met certain minimum requirements.
  
  
• Inquire about career and job support for graduates. Many schools offer assistance in helping students find employment. Some even provide steps to obtain necessary state and professional certifications. Inquire about the type of support that is offered by your academic institution. Ask if businesses come to the school to recruit new employees or if there is an alumni network in place.
  
  
• Talk to recent graduates. Hearing firsthand accounts about the academic atmosphere of a school is key. Alumni can give you the helpful tips about how to make the most of your time. Draw on their experiences and inquire about which courses and programs helped them the most in finding a job in their field. To find an alumni to speak with contact the school’s admissions department.
  

Federal Student Aid
The U.S. Department of Education currently directs the following major student financial aid programs:

• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Federal Work-Study (FWS)
• Federal Stafford Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal PLUS Loans/Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS)

Not all schools take part in all these programs. To find out which ones are available at a school, contact the school’s financial aid administrator. To learn more about these programs and to find out if you are eligible for federal aid, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center:

U.S. Dept. of Education
Federal Student Aid Information Center
PO Box 84
Washington, DC 20044-0084
1-800-433-3243
http://studentaid.ed.gov

Many financial aid guides are expensive to buy; however, you should be able to find them at your local public library for loan or in-branch use. For free information on applying for financial aid, write the American College Testing Program at PO Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243 or call them at (319) 337-1410 (se habla español).

Financial Aid Vocabulary
Grants: financial aid that you never have to pay back.
Work-Study: helps you work and earn money to help pay for school.
Loans: borrowed money that you must pay back with interest.

Online Resources
Many financial aid resources are posted online; listed below are websites you should find helpful. (Refer to our Internet 101 tip sheet if you have difficulty accessing the world wide web.) For those who wish to find additional sites, explore the web using search engines like www.yahoo.com or www.google.com, using the following keywords: “financial aid,” “continuing education” and “scholarships for women.”

www.womenwork.org
The Women Work! web site lists education and training programs by city and state. The web site also contains many informative guides and contacts that help women in transition acquire skills and education for a self-sustainable future.

www.adultstudentcenter.com
The Adult Student Center is a comprehensive source of information for first-time and returning students – articles and guides are featured.

www.collegeconfidential.com
College Confidential contains many resources that help students plan for a whole variety of academic expenses. Included are links to state organizations that provide educational funding.

www.fastweb.com
Recommended by thousands of academic institutions, Fast Web matches users with scholarships, internships and jobs suited to the personal information they provide.

www.college-scholarships.com
www.scholarships.com
www.absolutelyscholarships.com
www.scholarsite.com
These sites are search engines for scholarships, grants and loans for students with a variety of needs and interests. Some rely on a detailed profile of your interests and goals while others are more general. Be mindful that most of these sites will try to add you to their mailing lists; be sure to click “no” if you’d rather not be added.

Check Your Local Library
Financial aid resources can be purchased, but most can be found at your local public library. More recent editions of these books may be available.

Directories of Financial Aid for Women 2005-2007, Gail Ann Schlacther. Reference Service Press. March 2005, 528 pgs

Financial Aid for Minorities (4 Volumes), Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber. Reference Service Press.
-Aid for African Americans, 516 pgs
-Aid for Asian Americans, 346 pgs
-Aid for Hispanic Americans, 484 pgs

Peterson's Scholarships, Grants & Prizes 2006, Peterson's Guides, June 2005, 899 pgs

Peterson's Two-Year Colleges 2005, Peterson's Guides, July 2004, 738 pgs

Higher Education Opportunities for Minorities and Women: Annotated Selections, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402

Get Free Cash for College, Kelly Y. Tanabe, Gen S. Tanabe; Supercollege, L.L.C., September 2004, 432 pages.

Great Careers in Two Years: The Associate Degree Option, Paul Phifer, Ferguson Publishing Company, September 1999, 352 pgs

Loans & Grants from Uncle Sam: Am I Eligible and for How Much?, Anna Leider, Octameron Associates, October 2004, 71 pgs

Paying for College Without Going Broke, 2005 Edition, Princeton Review, October, 2004, 352 pgs

Returning to Education, Catherine Dawson, How to Books, January 2004, 160 pgs

Foundation Grants to Individuals, Phyllis Edelson; Foundation Center, New York, June 2005, 1502

A Selection of Scholarships

Rita LevineMemorial Scholarship
MENSA Education and Research Foundation
c/o Scholarship Chair
1502 Jackson Keller #A6
San Antonio, TX 78213
mid-hudson.us.mensa.org/scholars.htm

This scholarship is only eligible to women who are returning to school after a 7+ year absence. Because the amount and criteria of the award changes annually, write to the MENSA Education and Research Foundation for the latest information.

Sumasil Foundation Grant
The Sumasil Foundation
P.O. Box 758
Stillwater, MN 55082

Awards of up to $3,000 are typically given to undergraduate or graduate women, 18 or older, who have established clear goals for independence and self-sufficiency. Once they achieve some financial stability, scholarship recipients are asked to pass along an equivalent gift to other women in need.

Jeanette Rankin Award
P.O. Box 6653
Athens, GA 30604

Scholarships are available to undergraduate women who are at least 35 years of age. Write for more details.

The Kate Fansler Foundation
151 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
(212) 501-8157

Scholarship provides financial and other assistance to women who want to improve their lives through study or other creative efforts. Grants range from $500 to $5,000.

Women's Opportunity Award Program
Liz Pittman
14562 Farmcrest Place
Silver Spring, MD 20905
(301) 236-9715

Scholarships offered to mature women who are head of households and completing undergraduate, vocational or technical programs. Contact the address above or contact a local chapter that may be listed in the yellow pages for more information.

The Business and Professional Women's Foundation
1900 M St., N.W., Ste. 310
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 293-1200
www.bpwusa.org

The BPW foundation offers scholarships and loans to women over the age of 25 to pursue further education in order to enter, re-enter or advance in the work force. To be eliglible, applicants must be officially accepted into an accredited program or course of study and be within 12 to 24 months of graduation.

American Association of University Women
1111 16th St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-4873
(202) 728-7602
www.aauw.org

The AAUW awards fellowships and grants of up to $35,000 to women for educational, project and professional support and for post-baccalaureate study or research in the U.S. Candidates are evaluated based on scholarly excellence, teaching experience and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions or other fields of research.

Karla Scheber Foundation Scholarship
100 Renaissance Center, Suite 1680
Detroit, MI 48243-1009
(313) 259-4520

Scholarships are available to women seeking to re-enter the business field or to obtain a business degree.

Tip sheet last updated 8/05