Education

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A career education is the key to financial self-sufficiency!

You will double what you make over the course of your life with a career education! Hope for Single Moms is here to help make that happen!

There is a great need for people skilled in the trades. This is perfect for you. It gets you into the workforce quicker, with less school debt, and will likely have a higher hourly wage than most college grads.

Perhaps, you already have college credits, but have dropped out of school to take care of your child. Let us help you go back and finish or use your credits to pursue another career path.

Think it’s impossible? It’s not. It will be hard. It will be a lot of work. You will feel like quitting…more than once. It will be worthwhile.

Discover Your Career

Do you have a career path in mind? If you don’t, our “Discover Your Career” curriculum walks you through the steps. It is available for a $29 donation. It’s best to do with your mentor or your single mom support group

If you don’t have a support group, take the first step to financial stability.  Schedule a free career consultation. What’s that?

Types of Programs
Online courses

Online classes offer you a lot of flexibility. You are able to continue working, caring for your children and attend their events. However, be honest with yourself. Are you disciplined enough to take online classes? If not, don’t go this route.

Most colleges and community colleges offer the option of online classes. However, they usually cost more than in-person classes. There are two organizations that offer classes online that cover your basic bachelor degree gen ed at a significantly reduced cost. Be sure to check that these class credits will transfer to your four-year institution before you sign up.

Sofia learning: https://www.sophia.org/

Study.com: https://study.com/academy/plans.html

Praxis

Praxis is a nine-month program for people who want to get into the workforce without going to college. After a six month bootcamp of education, you go into an internship at an amazing company. There you ge to alongside entrepreneurs while completing your education. Your education which includes one-on-one coaching, self-guided projects, hard and soft skills training, and more.

Learn more about Praxis.

Download their guide.

Trade Certifications

If you’re not a fan of going to school, then certificate programs may be the way to go. Certificate programs teach you a trade skill and get you into the workforce in six to nine months. These may not pay the bills but can serve as a stepping stone career into a better-paying one. For example, a medical assistant certificate can land you a job in a hospital. Most hospitals offer to pay for related classes after you’ve worked there six months. You could be well on your way to a nursing degree or something else in the medical field.

Not into blood and guts? Most banks have a training program that allows you to move up the ladder to an executive position.

That’s why Hope for Single Moms is here. We will help you brainstorm possiblities.

Baker College

Blue Heron

Dental Hygiene/Dental Assisting

Great Lakes EMS Academy

Empire Beauty School

Goodwill

Life EMS Ambulance

Paul Mitchell Schools

Ross Medical Education Center

​Walker Medical Instructional Institute

West Michigan Center for the Arts and Technology (WMCAT):
Tuition-free adult career training program is open to men and women who have a high school diploma or GED, live in Kent county, receive some form of public assistance, and have no record of a felony. Information sessions every Monday at 9 a.m.

West Michigan Works

Women’s Resource Center

Community College

No one wants student debt, do they? At Hope for Single Moms, our goal is to get you the best career education at the lowest cost. Community Colleges offer you a top-rate education without the high cost.

Do you know that community colleges have certificate programs, too? These are less expensive a private certificate program. Definitely worth checking out.

Still interested in a bachelor’s degree? You can get your basic courses completed at a community college. It allows you to save money on your first two years of college. You also get an associates degree. Many of the basics, gen ed classes, are available for $79/month online at Sophia Learning

Not really sure what’s out there? You can see what certificates and degrees are available in West Michigan with our “Discover Your Career” program. This program  can be done on your own, with a mentor, or in a single mom support group.

Gateway to College at Mott Community College:
Gateway to College serves students between the ages of 16 and 21 who have left high school or are struggling to finish school. Gateway to College allows students to earn their high school diploma while receiving credits toward a post-secondary credential.

Students with children program
Do you live in the Big Rapids area? The Students with Children program addresses the additional needs of students with children to increase their chances of success

Alpena Community College:

Bay De Noc Community College:

Charles S. Mott Community College:

Delta College:

Glen Oaks Community College:

Gogebic Community College:

Grand Rapids Community College:

​Great Lakes Maritime Academy:

Henry Ford Community College:

Jackson Community College:

Kalamazoo Valley Community College: 

​Kellogg Community College:

Kirtland Community College:

Lake MI College:

Lansing Community College:

​Macomb Community College:

Montcalm Community College:

Muskegon Community College

Northwestern MI College:

Oakland Community College:

St. Clair Community College:

Schoolcraft College:

Washtenaw Community College:

​Wayne County Community College:

Financial Aid and FAFSA

Everything you need to know about applying for financial assistance for school.

Whether you attend school online or in person, you need to fill out the FAFSA form.

Whether  you go to a public or private college or learning institution, you need to fill out the FAFSA form.

It is important that you fill it out correctly and completely,

Here are links to help you do that.

https://study.com/resources/fafsa-and-financial-aid-guide-for-college#0242

Scholarships

Scholarships, or free money for college (and some certificate programs) is a great way to reduce student debt. Applications can be very time consuming. This may discourage you. Don’t let it. Think about filling out scholarship applications as your job right now. If you do the work, it will pay off.

No matter where you go to school or what scholarship or loan you apply for, you need to fill out the FAFSA first. Pell grants are available to single moms, who go to school full-time.

Listed below are some resources to help you get started. It is not complete. Do your research. You can also go to our Pinterest page for other ideas.

Study.com offers a comprehensive scholarship guide. https://study.com/resources/college-scholarships-guide

Another good resource for filling out financial aid info. https://novoresume.com/career-blog/scholarship-guide

Pell Grants:

    • All single moms, including pregnant mothers, qualify for a Pell grant. This is a need-based program offered through the federal government. The Federal Pell Grant can be extremely useful to finance study material cost and the tuition fees of university. Reward amounts may be as high as $5,000 per semester for those who qualify. Applications can be conducted online by completing the Free Application for Financial Student Aid at fafsa.ed.gov.

    Scholarship Search Websites:

    Community College Scholarships:

    Single Mom Scholarships: ​​

    Other Scholarships:

    Loans:

    Private Lenders

    Sometimes you need a little more financial help than you get through FAFSA. But you don’t want to pay high interest rates! Here are four resources from respectable companies with low rates. Best wishes on your student parent journey!

    COLLEGE AVE STUDENT LOANS

    https://www.collegeavestudentloans.com/

    • Competitive fixed and variable interest rates starting at 4.44% APR
    • Cover up to 100% of your cost of attendance: tuition, fees, and other costs
    • Option to start repaying immediately or after you complete your degree
    • Choose how long it takes to repay your loan based on your budget
    • No application, origination, or prepayment fees

    COLLEGE FINANCE

    https://collegefinance.com/

    • APR starting at 4.74%
    • Flexible repayment terms from 5 to 15 years
    • AI platform helps students pay down student debt while building wealth

    EARNEST

    https://www.earnest.com/

    • APR starting at 4.45%*
    • Provides customized private loan options for students
    • No early prepayment penalties
    • Ability to skkip a payment once per year (once repayment period restarted)

    ASCENT

    https://www.ascentfunding.com/

    • APR starting at 4.62%
    • Considers eligibility criteria other than credit score and income
    • DACA students eligible to apply
    Job Assistance

    You’ve finished your education and now you need to land that job. Listed below are resources that help with resume writing, interview skills and job placement.

    The first thing you need to do is create a resume. Many colleges and trade schools help you do that. There are also templates online you can follow. Or, if you know someone in HR (Human Resources), ask him/her to look at your resume.

    Many schools have a  job placement board. Colleges may have a student activites office or student job placement office. Check to see if your school does.

    Some places help you with a mock interview.  As they say, “practice makes perfect.” Whether they do or don’t, ask a businessman or woman you know to “interview” you.

    Resume

    Job Placement

    Housing/Rent/Utilities

    Hope for Single Moms does NOT help you find housing. We do need you to find a stable living situation before applying to be a client in our education program. Our focus is to help you go to college or trade school.

    Listed are some helpful links to help you find housing or pay for rent and utilities.

    Arbor Circle 616-451-3001 You must be 16-20 years old

    Community Rebuilders 1120 Monroe Ave. NW Suite 220, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, 616 458-5102

    Covenant Place You must be 18-24 years old

    Dwelling Place 616-454-0928

    Fair Housing Center of West Michigan

    Habitat for Humanity Kent County 616-588-5239

    Housing Assessment Program (HAP):
    M-Th 8:30-5, F 9:30-4
    Call 2-1-1 or 1.800.887.1107

    Home Resources Inc.

    Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Section 8 vouchers

    Inter City Christian Federation (ICCF)

    Michigan State Housing Development Authority

    Shelter database

    Westown Jubilee Housing low-income housing on Grand Rapid’s west side

    Weatherization Assistance Program repairs to help minimize energy costs

     

    Rent & Utilities

    Campaign for Home Energy Assistance:

    Michigan Department of Health and Human Services:

    Need help paying the bills?:

    Salvation Army
    Energy Assistance Services (EAS)
    1.800.SAL.ARMY
    M-F 8:30-4:30
    616.459.5468

    Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program