Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas Ensures the Success of Single Parent Students

With one in five children living in poverty, Arkansas has one of the nation's highest child poverty rates. The lack of education held by the parents of these children can be attributed to this problem. Individuals without a degree are four times more likely to live in poverty. In Northwest Arkansas, 77% of adults, many of whom are single parents, have a level of education less than a bachelor's degree.

Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas (SPSFNWA) recognizes the power of education to break the cycle of single-parent poverty. The primary goal of our organization is to provide the necessary support to single-parent students so they can successfully overcome any barriers to their educational attainment, become gainfully employed, move out of poverty, and live healthier lives.

Education is key to securing higher-paying jobs, saving lives, and reducing healthcare dollars. Individuals with more education are more likely to have higher earnings which provide access to healthier foods, safer homes, and better healthcare (VCU Center on Society and Health). In addition, the level of education of parents is linked to children's health. Children of parents who have only a high school diploma are more likely to be in poor health compared to those with parents who are college graduates (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation).

In Arkansas, approximately 10% of undergraduates are single parents. Although highly motivated to attain a degree, this population is more likely to drop out due to the struggle of balancing education, work, and family (Institute for Women's Policy Research). Parents who are students, regardless of their marital status, experience stressors throughout their education, but single parents are more likely to discontinue their education because of anxiety and stress.

The priority of the SPSFNWA program is to ensure success in single-parent students. Our approach is to address the individualized needs of our recipients through direct financial assistance, mentorship, and counseling. Our goal is to provide holistic support for each single-parent recipient to successfully graduate, become gainfully employed, move out of poverty, and live a healthier life.

When families are lifted out of poverty, the entire community prospers. Our graduates become productive, tax-paying, self-supporting members of the community. Local businesses gain from having a better-educated workforce and consumers with disposable income. The rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas region and the entire state profit from having tax-paying citizens rather than dependents on charitable and public resources. Our graduates increase their income and have access to better healthcare, healthier foods, and safer neighborhoods. This ultimately improves their overall health. Lastly, their families benefit by breaking the cycle of poverty. Their children witness their parents overcome obstacles to gain their education which creates a motivation to follow in their footsteps in the future.

For more information about the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas, please visit our website at https://www.spsfnwa.org.