How are single parents putting their children thru college?

I feel bad for your sister. I've been given excellent advice that you are welcome to use. I suggest you start your own thread. Good luck.

Hello my sister (not one just married) had her first at 15, and he is now 17 and he knows he wants to become a doctor and she had her second at 19 she is now 10, she is a single mom and her first son's father was a alcoholic but he is fine thank goodness! and her second's father was a alcoholic and a drug addict she is fine too. she knows she wants to be a vet and he knows he wants to be a doctor but where does she turn? she cant afford college and right now they are living in a 2 bedroom apartment. (the kids share) She used to be a manager at a Target store but she had to leave the job because she they wanted to move away from Wisconsin where the second child's father lived so they moved and she now is working her way up to be a manager of a Safeway grocery store. this makes me sad thinking about it! the boy works at a star-bucks but doesn't make much :-(! The little girl takes a job pet sitting or sometimes babysits (she is gifted and very responsible) but she doesn't know where to turn!

Hitricialrose,

healthy has given you great advice. There are scholarships in a variety of areas, far too many to mention, or that make sense to the lay person, the trick is to know the deadline and apply before that. If one of your sons chooses to study basketweaving and his middle name is Rodney, there's probably a scholarship for that.

If they have any particular activities they enjoy now, make sure they continue participating in it, logging the hours for those college apps (they will ask). And if there's a particular volunteer issue that interests your sons (politics, animal welfare, religious groups) have your sons do that too. It looks great on a college app, a resume, and it helps them build responsibility.

Also 2 years at a community college is going to save a TON of money. Living expenses are often less at home. And no one will ever ask where your sons start school, only what university they graduate from. Make sure they live at the guidance office of the community college, and make a reasonable guess as to where they think they're going to transfer so that all their units will go with them.

While you're at it, make sure you take some time to read some of the articles in the Great Schools library by visiting: www.greatschools.net/content/allArticles.page

Hit the Countdown to College link and an entire list will drop down for you.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Start by looking at some of the resources here:
community.greatschools.net/groups/11551/discussion/125964
Your son's high school counselor should be able to give you guidance as well, and if you know for sure your son will start at the community college, make an appointment to talk to them. (Many 4-year colleges will say that if you apply for admission, you're automatically applying for scholarships and grants at them, but I don't know how community colleges handle it. Also, there are independent scholarships your son might apply for...ie, maybe wherever their father works offers scholarships for kids going into certain majors?)
You will have to fill out the FAFSA in spring of your son's senior year, and every year thereafter where he might need financial aid.
On a separate note, colleges don't provide IEP's, but they do adhere to ADA (American with Disabilities Act) and so accommodations may be provided if necessary. Again, in Senior year, you'll want to check with the college your son plans to attend, to see what updated documentation he would need.