Grants For Single Parents…Dads Too!
Are you a single father? Feel like you are being left out in the cold when it comes to financial aid for single parents? Often people mistakenly think that single fathers have their finances already covered or don’t need monetary help since they are males. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The fact is that single fathers often seem to carry a greater burden when raising a child without help from a life partner. Single dads must not only care for the health and well-being of their kids but pay for all the bills as well.
According to the Census Bureau there were 2.5 million single fathers in the US in 2006 alone, so the government has developed a series of single parent assistance programs, especially grants for single dads!
Many single fathers don’t realize just how much money may be available in the form of grants for single fathers. In a good year, some 30 million people will receive some kind of government assistance or grant. Single father grants can be used to return to school, pay for housing or rent, buy food for the family, or even help with the down payment of house.
If you are a single dad or know of one who could use a grant for single fathers, then read this article to discover what you need to do to apply for single father grants.
Grants for Single Fathers
Being a successful single father is one of the most rewarding roles any man can fulfill in life. Yet it can it put a damper on plans to go back to school or to get the training a man needs to improve the financial situation for himself and his family. This is why grants for single fathers are so important.
If possible the first place to start your search for grants for single father grants is online. Go to your favorite search engine and type in “grants for single fathers” or something like that. This should take you to some websites with more information.
Or you can visit the official US government website, www.grants.gov and search for “child care”, “education” or “health care” or “single parent” under grants. You will not find an actual program entitled “grants for single fathers” but you will be surprised how many grants for families and children are out there.
The next best place to get started is at your local technical school, community college or university you are interested in attending. All schools have financial aid departments staffed with knowledgeable specialists you can help you start the application process for getting grants for single fathers. While you are there ask them if the school offers privates scholarships or grants for single dads.
Completing the Forms
As soon as possible you need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. This is the main form you will need to receive any type of grant for single fathers. This US Department of Education (DOE) form is the primary yardstick that the DOE and many state and local government agencies use to measure your families need for financial aid.
The DOE has awarded some $800 billion in loans, work-study assistance and grants in past years. Of course, applying for grants is not as simple as 1-2-3 but now that you know that there is help out for single parents like you, you can start looking for a single father grant program that will help improve things for you and your family.