Single Parents Benefit From Online College in Many Ways

Online college can help single mothers in many ways, and obtaining a degree can be as good for the health as it is the pocketbook. Completing higher education has always been associated with the good health of graduates and their children, according to a report from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education. And, like scholarships, grants and other financial aid programs, web-based college makes higher education more easily accessible for single mothers.

Single mothers enrolled in online college classes and degree programs don't have to sacrifice work and child-rearing responsibilities for their studies. Attending college this way, single moms can accomplish studies when a child is napping, at school, or in bed for the night. For single moms, college classes and degree programs accomplished this way can also help save on expenses associated with childcare, automobile maintenance, gas or public transportation.

Most college students are, in fact, women - many of them juggling work and family responsibilities at the same time. College for single moms can help them to widen their horizons and enhance their interaction with others without leaving home or the workplace. Some online college classes and degree programs are said to be accompanied by interactive communities.

Online college for single moms can improve their quality of life and the quality of life for children as well, studies suggest. More highly educated women tend to spend more time with their children and during that time help to prepare their children for the future, according to reports.

College graduates often make better buying decisions, have bigger savings accounts, and enjoy more hobbies and leisure activities, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Single mothers and others who complete online college might also find themselves more open-minded, cultured, rational, consistent and less authoritarian, a Carnegie Foundation Report on the completion of higher education in general suggests.

Ultimately, a single mom's college degree can help boost her marketability, income potential and job security. The National Center for Children in Poverty reports that the majority of adolescents in low-income families live with single moms and dads and parents who have not obtained college degrees. In 2007, people with bachelor degrees earned an annual median $51,324 - about $20,000 more than high school graduates without college degrees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Online college for single moms who demonstrate a financial need can be funded, at least in part, by grants, loans and work study programs. All resources that meet many of the needs of those pursuing this course.

Non-profit organizations, federal and state governments and colleges, universities and trade schools make financial aid opportunities, such as grants for single parents, available for online college classes and online degree programs. Some financial aid programs are designed specifically for a single moms' college education.

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