20 Scholarships for Students from Single-Parent Households
According to the Pew Research Center, approximately one-quarter of children in the United States are raised in single-parent families. While it’s not as uncommon as it once was, growing up as the child of a single parent can carry its own set of unique opportunities and challenges. Some children report closer familial relationships, while others struggle to make ends meet. For single-parent families with only one income, educational costs can represent an especially significant burden. Fortunately, there are a number of high-quality scholarships that provide financial assistance to students raised by single moms, dads, or other single guardians.
To qualify for many of these single-parent scholarships, you’ll need to complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA®) and calculate your student aid index (SAI) for your college education. Not sure how to begin? Use our custom tools to determine how much your family might be able to contribute and answer the FAFSA®’s trickiest questions. Then, sign up for Going Merry to find even more scholarships specifically for you.
20 Scholarships for Children of Single Parents
It doesn’t matter if you lost a parent to illness or an accident or if your parents simply divorced when you were young: These awards apply to dependent children from single-parent households of all kinds. So, if a single mom or dad raised you, start your scholarship search here.
1. Vincent Bennett Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Amount: Up to $6,250 a year
Provider: First Responders Children’s Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college, university, or technical or vocational institution
- Child of a law enforcement officer or firefighter who died or was permanently disabled in the line of duty
- Must be a citizen or permanent resident
Application Requirements: Transcript, 3 letters of recommendation, student aid report, financial aid award letter, proof of U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency, proof of acceptance or enrollment, personal statement, headshot, list of honors and awards, picture of first responder’s ID or letter from employer
Named for Vincent Bennett Jr., a passionate member of the First Responders Children’s Foundation, this four-year award provides financial support to one exceptional college freshman each academic year. To be eligible for the Vincent Bennett Jr. Memorial Scholarship, you must be the child of a firefighter or law enforcement officer who was killed while on duty. While there’s no required field of study, students pursuing engineering will be given preference. Community service and high academic achievement will also help set you apart.
2. The Toby Merrill Scholarship
Amount: $9,700
Provider: The Toby Merrill Scholarship Fund
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll full-time in a college or university
Application Requirements: Essay, list of extracurricular activities, list of honors and awards
Toby Merrill was a committed dad, husband, and friend who tragically lost his life to cancer. To honor Toby, his family and friends created the need-based Toby Merrill Scholarship to help students who have lost a parent pay for their higher education. Because Toby was committed to community service, scholarship recipients will need to complete 10 volunteer hours each year to renew their scholarship. While it’s not a requirement for entry, the award gives priority to students experiencing hardship due to bereavement and/or cancer.
3. First Responders Children’s Foundation Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Provider: First Responders Children’s Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college, university, or technical or vocational institution
- Biological, adopted, or stepchild of a first responder who died in the line of duty
Application Requirements: Transcript, 3 letters of recommendation, student aid report, financial aid award letter, proof of U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency, proof of acceptance or enrollment, personal statement, headshot, list of honors and awards, picture of first responder’s ID or letter from employer
If you’re the child of a first responder who was killed in the line of duty, the First Responders Children’s Foundation Scholarship could help you pay for college. The award amount varies each year, but the maximum award amount is $6,250, and it can be renewed annually for up to four years. Priority goes to applicants whose parent(s) passed away while on the job. (Stepchildren of deceased first responders qualify, too, as long as they were listed as a dependent on tax returns prior to the first responder’s death.)
4. Jennifer Casey Alderman Scholarship Award
Amount: $10,000
Provider: Twisted Pink
Eligibility Requirements:
- Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, or Tennessee resident
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Child of a parent who died from metastatic breast cancer or has financial hardship due to a parent currently living with metastatic breast cancer.
Application Requirements: Essay
Twisted Pink works to further research and access to care for people with metastatic breast cancer. In honor of Jennifer Casey Alderman, a mother and wife who lost her life to the disease, the organization created the Jennifer Casey Alderman Scholarship Award. To apply, you’ll need to write an essay about any topic of your choosing. (Need help with your essay? Use Going Merry’s essay tips to help you write the perfect one.) You’ll also need to provide proof of your eligibility via an obituary, death certificate, or letter from your parent’s medical oncologist. Scholarship recipients can renew the award each subsequent year for $2,500 annually.
5. Ava’s Grace Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Provider: The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis
Eligibility Requirements:
- Missouri or Illinois resident (limited to the following Illinois counties: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair counties)
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child of a parent who is or has been incarcerated in a U.S. penitentiary (state or federal)
Application Requirements: Transcript, completed FAFSA®, student aid report, personal statement, resume
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis sponsors the Ava’s Grace Scholarship for students who have at least one incarcerated parent. The award was named for Ava, who founded the scholarship in response to her own mother’s incarceration and her desire to use education to break the incarceration cycle. To qualify, you must have been a resident of Missouri or a few select counties in Illinois for a minimum of two years. Priority goes to students with a Student Aide Index (SAI) of $15,000 or less. (If your SAI is greater than $15,000, you can still apply, but you’ll need to demonstrate extenuating circumstances.) In your personal statement, write about how having an incarcerated parent has affected your education, development, and goals for your future. This grant program is renewable for up to eight semesters.
6. The 9/11 Promise Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Provider: 9/11 Promise
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Under the age of 25
- Child of a first responder or armed services member who died in the line of duty OR children of a first responder or military service member certified as not being able to work
Application Requirements: 2 letters of recommendation, essay, personal statement, list of honors and awards
The 9/11 Promise Scholarship was initially created to honor those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City. Today, the award goes to 11 deserving young students whose lives have been irreparably changed due to the loss of a first-responder parent. The amounts vary between $5,000 and $15,000. This college scholarship can be used to fund undergraduate or graduate studies as well as to finance a trade or vocational degree. The essay prompt asks students to write about what they’ve learned by having a first responder for a parent. (You’ll also need to provide proof of death and documentation of your parent’s service.)
7. ReWritten Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Provider: ReWritten
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college, university, or trade or vocational school
- Child raised by a single mother
Application Requirements: Personal statement
Statistically, children raised without fathers are more likely to live in low-income communities, face imprisonment, die by suicide, or run away from home — but ReWritten wants to re-write that story. To support students from fatherless households, they’ve created the ReWritten Scholarship. The award ranges from $500 to $5,000 and is intended to help college students gain access to a brighter future. To apply, students should submit a written plan for their higher education and demonstrate financial need.
8. Life Lessons Scholarship Program
Amount: Varies
Provider: Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- 17 to 24 years of age
- Child of a parent or legal guardian who is deceased
Application Requirements: Essay
If you’ve lost a parent or guardian, the Life Lessons Scholarship Program is aimed at helping you afford higher education. This award is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. To apply, write an essay or record a three-minute video discussing how the death of your parent impacted your life and your plans for your future. This award is sponsored by the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education, so if relevant, be sure to explain how a lack of appropriate life insurance impacted your family financially. The award amount varies, but the total amount for all prizes (usually around 40 total) will be $250,000.
9. The Family Scholarship Fund
Amount: Varies
Provider: The American Society of Safety Professionals Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child of a parent who died in a workplace incident
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay
As part of its mission to support those in occupational safety or health careers, the American Society of Safety Professionals Foundation created the Family Scholarship Fund. The fund works to offset college costs for students who have lost a parent in a workplace incident. The award amount varies by year and financial need. Because application requirements are fairly open-ended (students can be pursuing a degree either full-time or part-time, for example), the selection committee considers each application on an individual basis. For the best chance of winning, write an essay detailing how the loss of your parent affected your life.
10. Operation Second Chance Scholarship
Amount: $3,500
Provider: Operation Second Chance
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled as a high-school senior
- Child of a veteran who died from injuries related to combat deployment
- Unmarried
Application Requirements: Transcript, student aid report, proof of acceptance or enrollment
Operation Second Chance works to support veterans and their families. To that end, the nonprofit offers its Operation Second Chance Scholarship to the children of veterans killed in combat. To apply, you must be a high school senior planning to pursue higher education in the upcoming school year. There is no GPA or standardized test score requirement, and students can plan to attend any kind of post-secondary school: community colleges, universities, vocational schools, and trade schools are all fair game for eligibility.
11. Colwell Law Single Parent Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Colwell Law
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled in a college or university
- Child raised by a single parent
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay, resume
Colwell Law, a firm that specializes in family and divorce practice, understands how much of a financial burden it can be for single moms and dads to send their kids to college. To help bridge that gap in financial support, they endow the Colwell Law Single Parent Scholarship. The award is open to children of single parents as well as to single parents themselves. The application includes an essay where applicants should share how living in a single-parent household has shaped their values, character, and goals.
12. The Quell Foundation Survivor Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: The Quell Foundation Irene Pasierb Memorial Fund
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.4 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child of a parent, caregiver, or sibling who died due to suicide
Application Requirements: Transcript, personal statement
The Quell Foundation Irene Pasierb Memorial Fund is passionate about improving education and reducing the stigma around mental illness. The Quell Foundation Survivor Scholarship is given annually to students who have lost a parent, caregiver, or sibling to suicide. The scholarship opportunity is open to current high school seniors planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree, as well as to current undergraduate and graduate students. Your personal statement should include how your family member’s death has affected your life and education. (Refer to our tips to craft a compelling personal statement that will help you stand out from the crowd.)
13. Encore Protection Victims of Drunk Driving Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Encore Protection
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child of a parent who died due to a drunk-driving accident
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay
Encore Protection provides roadside assistance to drivers across the United States. As part of their goal to improve driver safety, Encore is passionate about ending drunk driving. In an effort to support this cause, they’ve created the Encore Protection Victims of Drunk Driving Scholarship. This award helps students who have lost a parent to a drunk driving accident afford post-secondary education. To apply, you’ll need to write an essay addressing the effects of drunk driving — both on you and on the community at large.
14. The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child of a parent who died due to alcohol, drug, or prescription drug abuse
Application Requirements: Transcript, proof of acceptance or enrollment, essay
The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund was created in honor of Lisa Michelle, a mother who tragically lost her battle with addiction. The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund Scholarship supports one deserving student each year who has lost a parent to alcohol or drug abuse. This scholarship opportunity asks students to write an essay about their experience of losing a parent to addiction. In your statement, be sure to explain how a college education will impact both you and your family.
15. FOZA Scholarship for Maternal Mental Health Awareness
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Friends of Zayne Adams, Inc.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
- Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and/or Native American
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college, university, or trade or vocational school
- Child of a parent who died of postpartum depression-related suicide
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay
Postpartum depression is a common and often undiscussed illness that affects up to approximately 15% of new mothers, according to the National Library of Medicine. Zayne Adams’s mother was one of them. After he lost her in the first month of his life, his mother’s friends and family came together to create the FOZA Scholarship for Maternal Mental Health Awareness. This scholarship award helps children who have lost a mother due to postpartum depression-related suicide. To apply, you’ll need to write an essay expressing why community service is important to you. This award is open to students pursuing undergraduate, associate’s, and/or trade degrees.
16. Tuition and Fee Exemption for Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans Grant
Amount: Full tuition and fees
Provider: State of Indiana
Eligibility Requirements:
- Indiana resident
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Under the age of 33
- Child of a U.S. armed forces member who died or was permanently disabled in the line of duty
Application Requirements: Completed FAFSA®, student aid report
Unlike a lot of scholarships on this list, the Tuition and Fee Exemption for Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans Grant is a grant program funded by the Indiana Department of Education. This program was specifically created for students who both reside and plan to pursue a college degree in the state of Indiana. To maintain eligibility, students must remain enrolled in a degree program at a public university or college. If you qualify for this grant, you will have up to eight years to use the assistance, so you can pause your studies at any time and come back to school later as needed.
17. Redrick Leijon Nicholas Williams Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Provider: Greater Emmanuel Temple Church
Eligibility Requirements:
- Los Angeles County resident
- Black/African American male
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child raised by a single mother
Application Requirements: Transcript, 3 letters of recommendation, essay, video essay
Greater Emmanuel Temple Church, a cornerstone of the local Black community in Los Angeles, created the Redrick Leijon Nicholas Williams Scholarship to support Black men raised by single mothers. The award gets its name from a strong community leader and Greater Emmanuel Temple Church member who worked tirelessly to help his single mother support his four younger siblings. To honor his strength, this award goes to one graduating high school senior each year. You must be entering either a two- or four-year program to qualify. In addition to a written essay, students must submit a 90-second video about their mother, including her sacrifices and the role she played in the applicant’s life.
18. The Foster Hope Award
Amount: $500
Provider: Foster Hope
Eligibility Requirements:
- Wisconsin resident
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Enrolled in a college or university
- Have experienced an adverse life event
Application Requirements: Transcript, 2 letters of recommendation, proof of residency, essay
Initially created for children raised in the foster care system, the Foster Hope Award has been expanded to include all Wisconsin students who have experienced childhood hardship. To win it, you must have experienced an adverse life event — like losing a parent — and be able to write an essay explaining how you’ve demonstrated hope in the face of adversity. Applicants who are residents of Central Wisconsin or have attended the Royal Family Kids Camp will receive preference during the selection process. You’ll also need to be attending an in-state college or university.
19. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
Amount: Varies
Provider: U.S. Department of Education
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- Child of a U.S. armed forces member who died during service in Iraq or Afghanistan
- Ineligible for the Pell Grant based on your expected family contribution but meet all other Pell Grant eligibility requirements
Application Requirements: Completed FAFSA®, student aid report, proof of U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency
The Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant is a grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. To be eligible, you must not qualify for the Pell Grant due to your EFC but must meet the other Pell Grant requirements for financial need and U.S. citizenship. The award amount varies each year but cannot exceed the amount of your tuition. If you qualify, you’re eligible to receive this grant for up to 12 semesters. All you have to do to renew is continue to fill out the FAFSA® each year.
20. Children of Veterans Tuition Grant
Amount: Varies
Provider: State of Michigan
Eligibility Requirements:
- Michigan resident
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
- 16 to 26 years old
- Child of a U.S. Armed Forces member who died or was permanently disabled due to service
Application Requirements: Completed FAFSA®, student aid report
The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant is a grant program designed to help Michigan students earn the college degrees of their dreams. To qualify, you must have a parent who is a veteran and who died or was permanently disabled during the course of their service. The award is renewable for up to four years or for $11,200 as long as the recipient maintains an overall GPA of 2.25 or higher. The scholarship amount varies based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA® and your course load, but the maximum for a full-time student is $2,800 per year.
Get more scholarships delivered to you with Going Merry
Losing a parent — either to death or to personal circumstances — can come with unimaginable grief, not to mention serious financial hardship. That’s especially true if you grew up in a low-income community. Only having one breadwinner can make pursuing a college education more difficult, but it doesn’t have to prevent you from receiving your degree. Thanks to the growing number of scholarship opportunities for children from single-parent homes, financial assistance is within reach.
If you need help keeping track of application deadlines, making sense of financial aid, or finding other relevant scholarships, Going Merry has you covered. Our intuitive, easy-to-use platform curates awards just for you based on your financial need, personal preferences, and interests.Simplify your scholarship search and application process by signing up for Going Merry today.
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