College Scholarships for Adult Women

7 Min Read

If you are focused on the day-to-day reality of paying bills and putting food on the table, and have pushed your dream of earning a college degree to “someday,” know that “someday” can be “today.” College scholarships can help you earn your degree online at an accredited institution, where you can study when it’s best for you. Scholarships can be plentiful when you know where and how to look for them, and there are a number of scholarship awards that are dedicated only to women.

How Scholarships Can Help Women Fund Their College Education

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that after graduation, women have more student loan debt than men.¹

Financial scholarships for college can significantly reduce the amount of loans you need to take or out-of-pocket expenses you incur as you earn your degree. Unlike loans, scholarships don’t have to be paid back — it’s free money for you to help you earn your degree affordably.

Scholarship money can cover tuition, room and board, and books or other learning materials — the details of what the scholarship covers are typically outlined in the description of the scholarship. Some will even cover living expenses while you attend college.

Women Need College Scholarships

Women are opting out of college because they feel like they don’t have the money and can’t afford to take out loans.

44% of women said they couldn’t afford to get a four-year degree²
38% of women said they needed to prioritize work over college to help support their family²
Women graduate with higher student loan debt than men, but often earn less, meaning they spend more time paying off student loans.¹

However, it’s in a woman’s best interest to get a degree.

People with a bachelor’s degree earn 40% more than those with just a high school diploma³
62% of employers require a degree for even entry-level roles.⁴
College graduates have a lower unemployment rate than high school graduates, especially in times of economic stress like during the pandemic in 2020.⁵

So, if money is tight and higher loans aren’t doable, it’s critical that women are connected to the scholarship funds available to them — they can alleviate the financial burdens that women face when pursuing higher education.

Find College Scholarships for Women

If you’re a woman who needs additional funds for scholarships, there are a number of ways to search for them, including face-to-face, online, and through apps that can be accessed on your smartphone or tablet.

Start Your College Scholarship Search Locally

If you belong to a church, sports team, club, or professional or personal-interest association, inquire with their leaders or HR professionals whether they have college scholarships available for women, or if they know of anyone who does. Networking and personal connections can open up opportunities.

Contact your local chamber of commerce and inquire whether they have or know of scholarships for adult women who want to earn their college degree.

From an online standpoint, you can use targeted search terms such as:

Scholarships for women in [name of your county] county
Scholarships for women in [your educational interest] in [name of your county] county
Scholarships for [your race] women in [name of your county] county
Scholarships for [your circumstance] in [name of your county] county

Scholarship Sites For Women

When you take your search to a national level online, you’ll find scholarship sites for all genders, as well as those dedicated to just women.

Websites Dedicated to College Scholarships for Women

These websites list national scholarships only available to women. You can search for others, as well as women-only scholarship sites specific to your state or the state you want to attend college.

College Scholarship Websites — Filtered by Scholarships For Women

Below are a few of the national college scholarship sites linking to their respective lists of women-only scholarships.

Pro-Tip! When you’ve looked through all of the women-only lists, be sure to peruse the site for more scholarship opportunities open to all genders, with criteria that are specific to you.

The Types of Scholarships Available to Women

When you’re filtering through a website list or searching an app, it’s important to realize what types of scholarships are available to women. Remember that businesses and associations provide scholarships to improve financial access to education according to criteria they consider important, such as the degree being pursued or the recipient’s current circumstances.

Scholarships for Women Based on Educational Interests

A number of financial scholarships are available to women pursuing specific degree fields. Below are links to just a few scholarship examples these search terms could include.

More search terms in the educational interest category include:

Scholarships for women in education
Scholarships for women in computer science
Scholarships for women in cybersecurity
Scholarships for women in liberal arts and humanities

Scholarships Available to Women Based on Current Circumstances

Scholarships can also be geared toward a woman’s circumstances in life. Below are links to just a few examples your search terms could include.

A few more popular search terms include:

Scholarships for moms of young children
Scholarships for women who are first-generation college students

Types of Scholarships Available to Women Based on Race or Age

You can also meet the eligibility criteria for scholarships if you’re a woman who identifies with the race of a minority population. The links below will take you to a single, national example, but your search should turn up many more opportunities.

Use Apps in Your College Scholarship Search

Smartphones and apps make it easy to find, apply for, and keep track of college scholarships. You can select the same types of filters as the search terms above to find the best scholarships available for you. A quick internet search will give you a list of the best apps to use, like this one from the Great Value Colleges website.

Another Way to Cut College Costs

Research shows the age of adults starting or returning to their college education has trended up significantly in the last 50 years.⁶

22-24 year olds: increased 27%
25-29 year olds: increased 69.3%
30-34 year olds: increased 50%

Between graduating high school and deciding to return to school, women have personal and professional experiences that could equate to college credits at accredited universities. For instance, The American Women’s College of Bay Path University offers a formalized Prior Learning Assessment where up to 36 college credits can be awarded if a prospective student completes:

CLEP exams
Computer Challenge Exams
A portfolio of work that proves a knowledge base worth college credit

Programs like this one at The American Women’s College at Bay Path University can save you thousands of dollars in earning your degree. If you’d like to learn more about Bay Path University, visit our website, or contact us at (800)782-7284 or getstarted@online.baypath.edu.

If you’re a mom considering going back to school, check out these tips for overcoming mom guilt.

Sources

Best colleges. ” Women in Higher Education: 5 Key Facts and Statistics.” Retrieved Jan. 30, 2024, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/women-in-higher-education-facts-statistics/#.
Pew Research. What’s Behind the Growing Gap Between Men and Women in C college Completion.” Retrieved Jan. 30, 2024, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/08/whats-behind-the-growing-gap-between-men-and-women-in-college-completion/.
Indeed. “How Much Does a Degree Increase Your Earnings? (With Median Salaries).” Retrieved Jan. 30, 2024, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/how-much-does-degree-increase-earnings#.
Cengage. “Cengage Group’s Employability Report: Degree Requirements & Outdated Mindsets Accelerate The Current Talent Crunch.” Retrieved Jan. 30, 2024, from https://cengage.widen.net/s/wn9bprbrmz/cg-employability-survey-report-part2-final.
Pew Research. “10 Facts About Today’s College Graduates.” Retrieved Jan. 30, 2024, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/04/12/10-facts-about-todays-college-graduates/.
Research.com. “Number of College Graduates: 2024 Race, Gender, Age & State Statistics.” Retrieved Jan. 30, 2024, from https://research.com/universities-colleges/number-of-college-graduates#5.

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