MONTICELLO, Ark. – Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) awarded 383 scholarships to single parents for the Spring 2023 semester.
Totaling just under $400,000, the scholarships are combined with services, such as mentoring and financial planning. ASPSF’s model creates a support system designed to help low-income single parents stay in school, graduate with a degree or certificate, and start a professional career with higher wages.
Top photo: Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund Spring 2023 recipients celebrate their achievements at an awards ceremony held in Southeast Arkansas. (Photo Courtesy ASPSF)
“It is important to me that my sons never have to go without, and I try to make sure they never know when we don’t have money. I am beyond grateful for the support ASPSF has given my family,” said Spring 2023 recipient Ashley Phillips, a psychology major at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Supporters who funded the Spring 2023 single parent scholarships include individuals, churches, small businesses, and various banks and United Way organizations across the state.
In addition, funding is provided in part by Arkansas Community Foundation, Arkansas Division of Higher Education, Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation, Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, Conway Corp, Entergy, First Electric Cooperative, Union Pacific, and the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation to name a few.
Single parents are eligible for ASPSF scholarships if their household income is typically not more than 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines, maintain at least a 2.0 GPA, and have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree, among other requirements. The scholarship aid is flexible for recipients to use to pay for the biggest barriers between them and their education.
ASPSF’s next scholarship application period is April 15-June 15 for the Fall 2023 semester. Scholarship amounts will increase for all eligible full-time and part-time single parents to a maximum of $1,600 (up from $1,200).
For more information about the nonprofit — which has awarded more than $35 million in scholarships across the state to single parents since 1990 — contact ASPSF Communications Director Jen Para at jpara@aspsf.org or 479.318.2885.About Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund: For more than 30 years, Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund has worked to create stronger, more educated, and more self-sufficient families. Through scholarships and services, ASPSF opens doors for low-income single parents, helping them pursue education, secure employment, and transform the future for their families. With the help of volunteers and community support, ASPSF creates multigenerational change, transforming lives for both single parents and their children. For information about scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and ways to give, visit www.aspsf.org.