Single Parent Scholarship Fund officials say they have reached 55% of a major challenge grant goal that will help more single moms and dads pay for college in the coming year.
Latest Fundraising Milestone
The nonprofit has raised $835,659 toward a $1.8 million target linked to a challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation. The organization must meet this amount by May 20 to unlock an additional $1 million gift from the foundation. Leaders say the new money will be used to expand scholarships and support services for single parents working toward college degrees.
The challenge grant is part of a larger $7.4 million campaign to strengthen facilities and programs that serve single-parent families. As of late March, the group had already raised $5.38 million toward that broader goal, placing it ahead of schedule but still short of the total needed to fully expand services, according to Talk Business.
How the Fund Helps Single Parents
The Single Parent Scholarship Fund model focuses on low-income single mothers and fathers who are the heads of their households and are enrolled in college or technical programs.
Scholarships typically cover part of tuition and also help with basic needs such as childcare, transportation, and school supplies, which often block single parents from finishing their degrees.
In Arkansas, for example, the Single Parent Scholarship Fund has helped recipients with awards ranging from a few hundred dollars to $2,500 per semester as the program has grown, SPSF reported.
One former recipient described using the scholarship to stay in school while paying weekly childcare costs that nearly matched her entire paycheck, showing how even modest awards can change a family's trajectory.
Read more: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Makes Universal Child Care a Cornerstone of His First 100 Days in Office
Wider Demand for Aid
Demand for scholarships for single parents remains high nationwide, with multiple programs now targeting this group. A Rhode Island fund offers between $500 and $2,000 to support single parents returning to school, and national programs such as Generation Hope provide up to $2,400 per year plus mentoring for student parents.
Other regional efforts, like the Oklahoma Single Parent Scholarship Program, have distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to dozens of students each semester, as per Yahoo News. Philanthropic groups such as ECMC Foundation are also building grant strategies aimed at removing barriers for single mothers and more than doubling their associate degree completion rates.
What Happens If the Goal Is Met
If the Single Parent Scholarship Fund secures the remaining 45% of its $1.8 million challenge by the May deadline, it will receive the full $1 million Mabee Foundation grant.
That would push the long-term campaign much closer to the $7.4 million mark, allowing the nonprofit to offer more scholarships, increase award amounts, and invest in wraparound services that help single parents persist through graduation.
