May 28, 2024
WASHINGTON, DC- The AARP Foundation today announced a call for entries to its fifth annual Women's Scholarship Program. The website only application opens February 1, 2011. The Scholarships will provide funds to women 40+ who are seeking new job skills, training and educational opportunities to support themselves and their families.
Eligible applicants must be:
• Women;
• Age 40+ by March 31, 2011;
• Able to demonstrate financial need;
• Enrolled in an accredited school or technical program within
6 months of the scholarship award date.
• Scholarship recipients are eligible to apply for additional
scholarships.
Research shows women are disproportionately at risk of having insufficient funds in the second half of their lives due to lower earning and different work patterns. The AARP Foundation created the Women's Scholarship Program in August 2007 to help older women overcome financial and employment barriers by allowing them to participate in education and training opportunities they could otherwise not afford. In 2010, 200 women from all across the country were awarded more than $450,000 in educational scholarships ranging from $500-$5000.
Priority is given to women in three categories:
• Those who are raising the children of another family member
• Those in low-paying jobs with no career opportunities and who are
missing either a retirement benefit and/or health insurance
• Those who have been out of the workforce for more than five years
Scholarships may be used for any course of study at an accredited public or private school, including community colleges, four-year universities, and technical schools. Funds are payable to the institution and may be used to pay for tuition, fees, and books. Graduate students are discouraged to apply.
Applicants can submit their application online beginning February 1, 2011 at www.aarp.org/womensscholarship. The application process closes on March 31, 2011 and scholarships will be awarded in late 2011.
Scholarship winners are annually chosen by an independent selection committee established by the AARP Foundation. They are chosen on the basis of financial need, personal circumstances and achievements, educational goals, and the likely impact of the scholarship on their lives and their families and communities. The scholarship program is made possible by the AARP Foundation with generous support from Wal-Mart Foundation, and AARP.
AARP Foundation is AARP's affiliated charity. The Foundation is dedicated to serving vulnerable people 50+ by creating solutions that help them secure the essentials and achieve their best life. AARP Foundation focuses on hunger, housing, income and isolation as its key mission areas. The Foundation envisions: “a country free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable.â€ù Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductable contributions and AARP. For more information about AARP Foundation, please log on to www.aarp.org/foundation.