COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN OVER 40

Excuse us if we assumed going in that scholarships for women over 40 was just another scholarship category for people who didn’t need or deserve a scholarship. We apologize because we have seen the light and now believe scholarships for women over 40 may be one of the most important scholarships of all.

But let us first explain why we had our doubts about scholarships for women over 40 in the first place. You see, women are already fifty eight percent of the student body on most college campuses. Our logic doubted they needed even more scholarship help, this time in the form of scholarships for women over 40.

Women are dropping out of college less, getting higher grades, graduating at a higher rate. And now we want scholarships for women over 40?

It all just seemed like too much. But then we learned about some of these scholarships for women over 40.

The AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship program stands out for its overall mission and its accountability. Too often with government scholarship programs you merely have to have a pulse and a financial need to receive money.

AARP is clear in its mission to help women over 40 “create solutions that help them secure the essentials and achieve their best life.” And they are accountable to a set of standards.

The AARP scholarships for women over 40, for instance, give priority to women raising children of another family member. This is important and means something because it is making a valuable distinction that is not always present with other scholarship programs.

Let’s say you are a promising young female college student who quit school to take care of your drug-addicted sister’s children. You raise those children until they are eighteen, giving up your own dreams.

This is where AARP diverges from the crowd. Most scholarship programs want to give scholarships to the kids whether they deserve it or not. Or the mother who didn’t raise them (because she overcame addiction).

AARP sees the woman who sacrificed what could have been a very different life and they recognize her true hero status. She’s the one they want for their scholarship program.

The AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship program has helped over five hundred women since 2007. In 2010 alone 125 women shared awards totaling $450,000.

These scholarship funds go directly to the school. They are used exclusively for tuition, books and other fees.

Other factors are considered for eligibility as well. These include if you are working in a low-paying job without retirement or health benefits or if you’ve been out of the workforce for more than five years. And what are your educational and career goals.

There are other important factors that come in to play. One example would be not just that you have a financial need, but what is the basis for that financial need. Another would be the likely impact of the scholarship on the recipient’s life, her family’s life and the community as a whole.