Nowadays, a high number of elderly women is interested in pursuing higher education for various personal reasons. A very important motive for this would be that old and outdated traditions are gone, so job opportunities in fields of expertise that were customarily reserved for men are now available to women also. Another reason would be to increase their chances of getting a more desirable job which would in turn offer a better position and higher pay.
Still, most of the women who want to finish their education do so because they feel they can achieve something that they couldn’t in the past because of family or income issues. No matter what the reason behind this decision, getting a college degree can also be a great personal accomplishment and self- esteem boost. As such , if you are searching for financial aid in the form of college grants for women over 50 then here are some available options you might want to find more about.
AARP Foundation Women’s Grants Program
The AARP scholarship program was founded in 22007,and its main purpose is to offer a new chance to elderly women by providing them with financial incentives to help in pursuing a higher education and ultimately change their life for the better. In the last 4 yyears,this scholarship program has lent financial aid to more than 500 senior citizens over forty years of age. Its main target is elderly women who need more spare time away from their jobs to cater for the needs of their families and by doing this reducing their income significantly.
For applicants to be eligible they must meet the following requirements:
- female over 40 years with a low income
- attending an education institution in the United States six months before the grant award
- desire to pursue a bachelor or associate degree
- past recipients may also apply a second time
Winners will be selected by a committee assembled by the Foundation that will also judge applicants based on the following:
- low income and no future pension or health insurance
- having to raise a child with other members of the family
- lack of a job for over 5 years
- unfortunate life events
- career intents
The money can be used at any accredited education institution in the United States and will be issued directly to it by the Foundation to cover for learning material and tuition. For more information visit the AARP website at www.aarp.org.
Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Women
The Newcombe Foundation is a great source of college grants for women over 50. Since it was founded in 1981, it has helped more than 500 students with tuition money ranging around the sum of 2,300$ each. The main goal of the Foundation is to offer a free financial incentive to elderly women who rely on a low-income and are discouraged by the fact that most of the money for tuition fees now comes from various loan programs, which are normally left out of consideration from the start because of family and other expenses.
However, the Newcombe grant is awarded only to women past the age of 25 and that attained 60 or more credits for their bachelor’s degree, this being done with the purpose to encourage students to finish their studies. The money is sent directly to the preselected education institutions which are then responsible for the selection process of students to benefit from the financial support.
This scholarship is mainly based on merit, gender and age. Applicants must show good academic results ( a minimum of 3.0 GPA ) and priority is given to the ones already working part-time or full-time. A complete list of the institutions where students can benefit from the Newcombe Scholarship program can be found on their website at www.www.newcombefoundation.org.
The Jeannette Rankin Women Scholarship Fund
College grants for women over 50 are not easy to find but luckily, there are foundations like the Jeannette Rankin Women Scholarship Fund that can help any elderly woman finish her education and pursue a better career which in turn would bring many personal benefits as well as family and community ones.
Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected in the United States Congress, and her life-long career and achievements make her an exceptional role-model for anyone. The Foundation named after her was created in 1978 and has since helped more than 520 mature women from the United States with the necessary funds for attaining the college.
All applicants for the Jeannette Rankin scholarship must pass the following eligibility requirements :
- must be female and over the age of 35
- must have U.S. citizenship
- must be admitted or already attending an education institution accredited by the Council of Independent Colleges and Schools
( ACICS ) - must pursue education in a technical or vocational field or an associate/first bachelor degree
- must benefit from a low-income
During the student selection process for the Jeannette Rankin scholarship the following criteria will also be taken into account :
- personal goals of the applicant
- personal methods and plans for achieving the goals set
- unfortunate life events and hardships that the applicant faced
- past and present financial struggles
All those interested should first check with the financial support or enrollment office of their education institution to be sure that the school is accredited by the Council of Independent Colleges and Schools ( ACICS ). A complete list of accepted accreditation can be found on the JRF website at www.rankinfoundation.org. Also, the JR Foundation is against any student discrimination so the applicant’s creed, marital status, color, sexual orientation, race, religion, ancestry or physical disability will not be taken into account as part of the selection process.
For applicants to be found eligible when considering their financial needs, the Max Household Income must not surpass the figures below:
| Household Size | Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | 13,959 $ |
| 2 | 22,876 $ |
| 3 | 31,398 $ |
| 4 | 38,758 $ |
| 5 | 45,742 $ |
| 6 | 53,490 $ |
