Support for Single Parents Going Back to School

Article by Holly Lane

As a single parent, you have a lot on your plate, even when it comes to just fulfilling your most basic obligations. After all, supporting a family financially and being completely responsible for raising children is like two full time jobs in one. So, how do you add going to college to your regimen without going insane in the process? Fortunately, there are many people in your shoes, doing exactly what you have set your mind to do, and they are making it through successfully. There is plenty of support for single parents out there, to help you through this journey of going back to school.

Emotional support. The most obvious place you can go for emotional support is a group of people who are going through the same challenges associated with fulfilling your goals and handling your responsibilities. Look first to your closest friends and family members, who may be willing to lend an ear and offer a shoulder to cry (or scream) on. Search your local print and Internet classified ads for support group meeting announcements. You should definitely also sign up for a free(!) membership to Meetup.com – a website dedicated to helping you find any kind of group you may be interested in joining.

Financial support. Chances are if you are juggling returning to school with being a single parent, your purse strings must be pretty tight. Apply for financial support with your local government’s social services department to qualify for money to help with food, rent, utilities, health care, childcare and more.

Mental support. No one said that the task of going back to school as a single parent would be easy. As a matter of fact, it’s downright hard – no way around it. There’s so much to know that sometimes your head my feel like it is spinning. Fortunately, there are foundations there to help single parents just like you. Programs by institutions like the YMCA, Parenting With Dignity, and Parents Without Partners offer a wide array of programs designed to educate, inform, and train you in parenting, life skills and more, arming you with the knowledge you need to be able to earn your college degree as a single parent.

There is no shortage of support for single parents who are returning to school. Take advantage of these resources to ensure your best chances of meeting this challenge head-on, and coming out on top.