Every year, millions of dollars intended for college scholarships and grants goes unclaimed! Many major companies and private foundations have special funding programs available for qualified employees and in some cases – even customers!

Did you know that every year companies like McDonalds, Taco Bell, Clairol – offer millions of dollars through many different types of corporate sponsored foundations for scholarships and grants for education? And – that every year, millions of dollars from these programs go unclaimed?

These and many other companies around the world offer a wide variety of funding programs for education purposes, for employees, families of employees and in some cases – even customer of these companies qualify!

Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of these programs – few people ever do! The truth is these programs are not advertised or well publicized, even to their employees, consequently – many of these programs go unclaimed every year.

Once you have found a grant program that fits your needs, you want to make the most of your opportunity, so give yourself the ‘competitive edge by doing your preparation work before you ever sit down to start the paperwork!

Every grant application is reviewed by the funder’s panel. These are usually people that are experts in the area that the funder specializes in – they know exactly what they are looking for and what parameters the grants must meet.

The first step in preparing to write your grant proposal is to familiarize yourself, as much as possible, with the grant guidelines, and if possible the grant committee members. Call the grantor and ask if it is possible to meet with one of the reviewer’s to go over the guidelines, and clarify any points that you many not fully understand. If a call is not possible, ask if you can submit your questions by fax or email.

Women dream of having a happy and fulfilled family life. But sometimes reality can really hurt, and the fairy tale world ends with a snap of a finger. And very soon, you’ll find yourself raising your kids alone without the help of your husband. Supporting a family with kids is tough, especially if you’re a single mom. And the best way to be able to give your kids a decent life is to finish college, and land a good job.

Being a single mother can be very hard. You would have to do everything yourself; work hard, attend to your kids needs, and attend college classes. Oftentimes, you will have difficulty in handling your finances. And attending college requires a certain sum of money. Here is where a college scholarship will come in handy.