College Grants for Women

          “When you hear…you forget. When you see…you remember. When you do… you understand.” This quotation from the Chinese philosopher Confucius holds well in all the fields, more so in educational field. This is very much similar to how we learnt things when we were young. Our parents did not demonstrate how to walk, but they made us walk. They did not waste time showing us how to ride a bicycle; they practically made us ride it. And, that is how learning happens naturally, drawing inspiration by doing things, which can be called ‘Inspired Learning’.

           Just a few decades back, it was considered a wasteful expenditure to encourage the female members of the house to take up higher studies. It was considered sufficient if they were decently literate and managed to do basic calculations required for running the house. Majority of the women, barring a few, were housewives and sought happiness in taking care of the husband, children and other senior members in the house, if any. Husbands of such women and other members of the house too, on their part, relegated the ladies of the house to only cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc. which were considered purely female forte. This by no means is a generalized statement, but one could rarely find women in top posts those days. We are witnessing many changes now.

          It is not uncommon to see more and more women wanting to pursue higher studies and take up such professions which would do their family members and friends proud. Parents from upper middle class and above may go all the way and leave no stone unturned to ensure that their daughters are well educated and lead a life of dignity. But girls coming from lower strata of society may still be facing discrimination owing to social and cultural limitations and ignorance. Such girls are likely to feel dejected and deprived, as they are unable to pursue higher studies despite having the urge and potential.

          This is where the role of grants comes into play. Almost all the grants are made available to such women who are not in a position to afford the college fees owing to social, familial and financial constraints. All those women, who are desirous of pursuing higher studies and are ken to apply for the grants, will have to produce proof of their financial hardship and also present documents standing testimony to their academic qualification and community they belong to. Women may seek help through many government-sponsored programs like WISP, which offer grants to those women who have been victims of abuse and addiction. Also, many universities and colleges come forward to help women applicants who are in need of financial help, at all levels of higher studies. Apart from this, most institutions received sizable donations from philanthropists, which enable them to sanction grants to their students. On account of this, many women are looking to take up such professional courses too, like Engineering, law, medicine, technology, which were considered purely male domain once upon a time.

          Some of the noted college grants for women are: 1) The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a forefront organization that encourages women in all spheres of education, mostly women from minority section. Women with extreme financial difficulties are given preference here. 2) ABAFAZI-AFRICANA Women’s Studies Essay Award: This organization sanctions $400 annually in the form of essay prize to two women African American candidates who are pursuing under-graduation or graduation course. 3) AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program: Here, grants are given to such women who are over 40 and are desirous of returning to school. 4) The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund: Under this, various types of grants are awarded to women belonging to developing nations.

          With so many facilities available in the form of government and private grants, there is no reason why less privileged women should be lagging behind in pursuing higher education and carving a path of their own.