If you’re a mom looking for financial aid to help pay the high cost of college tuition then you really want to look into the PEO scholarship for mothers. The Philanthropic Educational Organization, or PEO, has many different mother scholarships, including a student loan program which is second to none. If you are mom, planning to go back to school, or starting college for the first time, you definitely need to check out what the PEO has to offer because they are willing to help pay for your education.
The PEO is all about helping women to educationally advance as far as their dreams take them. The PEO is a powerful sisterhood which sponsors no less than six international programs all designed in assisting female educational ambitions and this is impacting women all over the world. They also are closely aligned with Cottey College located in Nevada, Missouri. Cottey is an all female college and which applies the PEO principals of education for all women who attend.
Founded in 1907, the PEO established the ELF, or Educational Loan Fund. These loans are only available to women who show financial need, and who are seeking a higher education. In order to be eligible for such a loan, you must be nominated by a local chapter of the PEO Sisterhood. You also must already be working towards a college degree, with at least two years completed. These loans are awarded in the amount from $5,000 to $10,000, and are repaid at 4% interest, starting six years after the award is made. This is not so much a direct mother scholarship as it is a great financial student oportunity when you don’t recieve enough to cover college tuition.
The PEO International Peace Scholarship (IPS) was established in 1949 and was designed to fund international graduate women students an education award of $500 in the US or Canada. Local chapters of the IPS nominate applicants for this PEO international scholarship for mothers.
The PEO also has a grant program called the PEO Program for Continuing Education (PCE) which was started in 1973. This PEO grant is awarded to women who have put their education on hold, and are returning to school. Eligible applicants must be citizens of the United States or Canada, and your purpose for returning to school should be to support your family or yourself. As is the case with all grants the PEO grant applicants are awarded based on need. The maximum award amount is $3,000 and one time only. This makes a perfect mother grant.
The PEO Scholar Awards started in 1991 and are merit based, and designed for women who are trying to earn a degree on the doctorate level. Again, these women must be citizens of the United States or Canada, and must be post-graduate students. You can start applying to this PEO scholarship September 1st of each year and May winning PEO scholarship applicants are officially announced. Award amounts vary from year to year.
The PEO Star Scholarship is awarded in the amount of $2500 to high school females who will be attending college. This is a one time PEO scholarship award and cannot be applied to more then once.
While these PEO scholarships are not specifically scholarships for mothers, they are scholarships for women, and as such, you should apply for the programs that are offered through the PEO that apply to your specific situation. They are wonderful scholarship for mother opportunities that can really help fund part of your continuing education. The ELF is a unique student loan program at below market rates with flexible repayment options and is welcomed when the PEO scholarship awards are not sufficient to cover your full college bill.
The PEO may be one of the best sisterhood programs that you ever become associated with as far as fathering your educational aspirations because of their strong support in these areas. The guidelines for qualifying are very fair for women returning to school for all the PEO scholarships so make this program one of the first you apply to when looking into mothers scholarships.