General Financial Aid Resources

Web Sites

Back to College
Resources for Reentry Students
http://www.back2college.com/
A compilation of resources including financial aid opportunities as well as a whole array of additional assistance.

Business and Professional Women Foundation
Career Advancement Scholarships
http://www.bpwusa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3381
The Business and Professional Women's Foundation promotes equity for working women through education, information, and research. The foundation provides financial assistance to women seeking additional education to advance in their careers or re-enter the workforce, and also collects, conducts, and analyzes research on issues affecting women in the workplace. The BPW Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2004-2005 scholarship program. Applicants must be women 25 years of age or older. They also must be officially accepted into an accredited program or course of study at a U.S. institution (includes institutions in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) and must be graduating within 12 to 24 months from the date of grant. Applicants must also demonstrate critical need for financial assistance. Visit the Business and Professional Women's Foundation Web site for more information or contact: BPW Foundation, ATTN: Scholarships, 2012 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036; Tel: (202) 293-1200 ext. 169.
Also listed under Business.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Foundation Center Advice for Returning Students
http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs/html/nontraditional.html

Jeannette Rankin Foundation
Women's Education Fund
http://www.rankinfoundation.org/
The Jeannette Rankin Foundation continues the legacy of Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress. Every year scholarships of $1,500 each are available to 25 women, aged 35 or above, to pursue their education. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and have been accepted or enrolled in a certified technical/vocational training program or undergraduate college program. Awards will be made to promising students with severe financial need.

Paying for College;
A Financial Guide for Adults Returning to School
http://www.collegeboard.com/finaid/html/CUPayforCollBro.pdf
Practical advice from the College Board.

P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education
http://www.peointernational.org/about/pce-fact-sheet.pdf
P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE) was established in 1973 to provide need based grants to women in the United States and Canada whose education has been interrupted and who find it necessary to return to school to support themselves and/or their families.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Raise the Nation
http://www.raisethenation.org/
Raise The Nation celebrates independence through education by awarding grants and scholarships to single parent women and their children. The majority of single parent women work full time, while 45.5% work multiple jobs just to meet basic needs. Childcare costs are often 1/3 of a woman's weekly pay and if she has two children the cost nearly doubles. In spite of these difficulties many single parent women return to school while working full time. The greatest hardship for these very determined women is finding the extra money for tuition, books, and childcare. In addition, student loan repayment is difficult, often amounting to the equivalent of a monthly new car or mortgage payment. Raise The Nation provides money directly to the Colleges, Universities and student loan providers for the purpose of helping these women complete and pay for their education. We also offer assistance for childcare, books and other basic needs. Scholarships are awarded twice a year and distribution of funds is directly related to our success in fundraising.
Also listed under Grants for Individuals--Undergraduates.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Raise the Nation Foundation
Scholarship For Continuing Education
http://www.raisethenation.org/RTNLibrary/RTNGrants.html
This scholarship is available to single parent women who would like to go to school or continue with their education, but have been denied sufficient resources. Many single parent women are denied educational grants and assistance unless they are living in crisis and poverty and are instead forced to borrow money for tuition and living expenses, which is very difficult to re-pay based on the national earning average of $24,000 a year - even with an education. We recognize single parent women who want to raise their standard of living and that of their children by continuing education and advancing their careers.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Soroptimist International of the Americas  Women's Opportunity Award
http://www.soroptimistmidwest.org/
Each year, the Soroptimist Foundation awards about $250,000 in Making a Difference for Women grants to more than 40 Soroptimist clubs that are initiating or continuing innovative projects that benefit women and girls. Sample projects include refurbishing domestic violence shelters, providing job training for women in transition, financing legal services for low-income women, providing mammograms to women with no health insurance, and sponsoring enrichment programs for at-risk girls. Clubs can receive awards between $500 and $10,000.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Talbot's Women's Scholarships Fund
http://www.talbots.com/talbotsonline/index.asp
Note: type "scholarship" in the search engine box
Since 1997, this classic women's clothing retailer has dedicated $100,000 a year to a national scholarship program to help women complete their undergraduate education. Each year, five women are awarded $10,000 each, and 50 women, $1,000 each to return to school. To be eligible, you must have been away from school for at least 5 years. Look for applications in Talbot's stores soon, or call 507-931-1682.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Daniel Kovach Foundation Scholarships

Eligibility:  Numerous national scholarship for a variety of majors; for more information please check the Daniel Kovach Foundation Scholarship website:  http://www.collegescholarships.org/our-scholarships/

Award:  $2,000

Third Wave Scholarship Program for Young Women

Eligibility:  For full or part time students age 30 and under enrolled in, or accepted to, an accredited university, college or community college.  Should also be involved activists, artists, or cultural workers working on issues such as racism, homophobia, sexism, o r other forms of inequality.  See website:

http:www.thirdwavefoundation.org/programs/scholarships.html

Award:  1,000-5,000

Women In Defense Scholarship-Horizons Scholarship

Eligibility:  Woman, citizen of the United States, demonstrate financial need, currently enrolled at an accredit Ted university or college, either full or part time; undergraduate and graduate students are eligible; undergraduate must have attained at least junior level status (61 credits); demonstrate interest in pursuing a career related to national security or defense, demonstrate financial need, and have a minimum grade point average of 3.25.

See website:  http://wid.ndia.org/horizon/scholar.htm

Awards:  $500 - 2000

Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Eligibility:  Women 21 years of age or older and a member of ELCA in America.  Applicant must be a U.S. citizen whose education has been interrupted for at least two years since high school.

See website:

http://www.womenoftheelca.org/whatwedo/scholarship.html

Awards:  500-2,000

Databases

Community of Science Funding Opportunities Database
On campus access
Off campus access using EZ Proxy Server
Students can identify additional funding opportunities by searching this database. Select Main Search and then type in the academic discipline of your choice in the "All Fields" box.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Foundation Grants to Individuals Online (Main Library Access Only)
http://gtionline.fdncenter.org/ipl.php
Includes descriptions of more than 6,000 foundations and public charities that fund individual grant seekers, and is searchable by nine different criteria. Records provide contact information, financial data, application information, and program descriptions, with links to more than 500 foundation Web sites. Updated quarterly.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

GrantSelect
http://72.3.247.11/gs/cgi-bin/welcome.pl
GrantSelect is the online version of the GRANTS Database containing over 10,000 funding opportunities provided by over 3,400 sponsoring organizations.

RSP Funding for Graduate Students
On campus access
Off campus access using EZ Proxy Server
Provides a search engine for identifying the thousands of funding programs available to support research, study, training, personal and organizational projects, conference and workshop attendance, exchange programs, and creative activities in the United States or abroad. The programs described here are sponsored by government agencies, professional organizations, corporations, sororities and fraternities, foundations, religious groups, educational associations, and military/veterans organizations. All areas of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities are covered.
Note: 4 simultaneous users only.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

FastWeb
http://www.fastweb.com/.
If you have access to the world wide web and are willing to fill in the online forms, this service promises a free customized list of financial aid sources. FastWeb is actually a searchable database of more than 400,000 private sector scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans from more than 3,000 sources for all levels of higher education. First-time visitors have to register (first and last name and a user ID), then complete a profile, including background and fields of study. Registrants then receive a list of all currently relevant funding sources. The registration information is stored and can be used on subsequent visits. The entire sign-up process, and delivery of available funding sources, can be a bit tedious: about five to twenty minutes, depending on the connection speed. Approximately 500 new scholarships are added to the database daily, so registrants can stay current. Provided courtesy of Financial Aid Information Page and Student Services, Inc. created by Mark Kantrowitz and sponsored by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
(Last checked 02/10/07)

Books

Better Late Than Never : Financial Aid for Re-Entry Women Seeking Education and Training. Women's Equity Action League. Washington, D.C. : WEAL, 1987. 59pp. Main Library Stacks LB 2338 .B47 1987
Focuses on programs that provide financial aid for women who need to train or retrain for a career. Apprenticeships are also included.

Financing Your College Degree: A Guide for Adult Students. David F. Finney. New York, N.Y. : College Entrance Examination Board, 1997. 141pp. Main Library Reference (1 East) Funding Center LB2337.4 .F56 1997

Peterson's Scholarships and Loans for Adult Students: The Only Guide to College Financing for Students 25 and Over. Princeton, N.J. : Peterson's Thomson Learning, c2000. 398pp. Main Library Reference Funding Center LB2337.2 .P466 2000
The first ten chapters are a complete review of the basic and essential financial aid options that are available for adult students and provide advice on managing the financial aid process and student debt. The rest of the book identifies 549 award programs, scholarships, fellowships, grants, prizes, and other gift aid opportunities for adults.

Scholarships for Re-entry Students:
Grants and Retraining Assistance for Adults Returning to College (E-Book Advertisement)
http://www.adultstudentgrants.com/
Although many adult students hear about help to go back to school, continue their education, or train for a new career, they are often unaware where to find it or what programs they may be eligible for. Our special eBook provides information on scholarships, grants, and private organizations and associations that aid adults returning to college. Sources of aid include awards especially for re-entry students, women, single parents, and adults re-entering the work force, including money from federal, state, and private organizational and academic programs. Assistance is available for full or part-time, undergraduate and graduate study. Awards range from $500 to $10,000, include description and contact information, and are hyper-linked for the Web. All information is newly updated, and available for immediate download.

Other Financial Aid Websites

http://www.finaid.org

http://www.ed.gov/aboutoffices/list/ope/index.html

http://www.collegenet.com.mach25/

http://www.srnexpress.com

http://collegeboard.com/pay

http://www.myfuture.com/money/searchingfordollars_all.html#st

http://www.xap.com/getmoney/schoalrship

http://www.studentjobs.gov/d_scholarship.asp

http://www.collegeanswer.com/payingscholarship_search/pay_scholarship_search.jsp