There are various sources of scholarships for women awarded to those who are a single parent each year, probably more than you realize. The trick in finding these scholarships for single moms is understanding each type of scholarship and whether you’re eligible for them. While wading through countless resources may seem a daunting task, if you’re serious about finding legitimate ways to fund your college education as a woman, the task of learning about various scholarships for single mothers can be well worth it.

1. College Scholarships

Many colleges offer monetary awards for their specific college. If you know which schools you’d like to attend, it may be to your benefit to find out whether those schools offer school specific scholarships as part of your financial aid package. Schools that do offer specific scholarships for single mothers of their college typically include requirements the student must maintain in order to remain eligible for the money.

For example, many colleges require students receiving scholarship money from them to maintain a certain GPA, pursue a defined course of study, or other specific academic requirements. Not every college offers school specific scholarship awards however, so it’s a good idea to do your research beforehand so you won’t end up disappointed.

2. Athletic Scholarships

These types of scholarships seem to be less talked about than the majority of monetary awards, but that doesn’t necessarily make them any less viable. It used to be that women who didn’t excel academically, but were amazing when it came to athletics, believed they could fund their college education on an athletic scholarship alone.

These days however, that’s simply not the case. It’s not impossible to receive an athletic scholarship for your hard work on the field, but these scholarship awards are highly competitive. If you excel athletically, it’s a good idea to research the school or schools you’re interested in attending to see if they offer athletic scholarships to promising athletes. You’ll also want to look into the process of applying for an athletic scholarship so you know what’s involved.

3. Academic Scholarships

These awards are often college specific as well, and are awarded to outstanding students who excel academically. Because they are merit based, academic scholarships for single mothers are also highly competitive. While you may have to apply separately for these types of awards, oftentimes an academic scholarship is included with your financial aid package from the school if you show academic excellence in one field or another.

Different departments of various colleges may also have specific scholarships for single mothers available to students pursuing a specific course of study within that department. If you already know what you plan to major in, it would be a good idea to contact the school you’re interested in attending and see if they offer scholarships specific to your course of study.