Single parents across Arkansas can apply for a scholarship in August

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Aug. 1, 2025) — Single parents enrolling in school for the Fall 2025 semester can apply for a scholarship from nonprofit Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) beginning today. 

To apply, single parents must go to aspsf.org/apply and fill out an online form with supporting documentation. Both new students and current ASPSF recipients can apply for a scholarship up to $1,600. The deadline is Sept. 1. 

If awarded, single parents directly receive the financial aid and can use it to meet their real-life needs, such as rent, child care, gas, or groceries, while they go to school. Along with the scholarship, ASPSF staff and volunteers provide mentoring, career coaching, and workshops to help recipients balance school, work, and parenting.  

“[This scholarship] not only helps my son and I but many other families of Arkansas as well,” said ASPSF Summer 2025 recipient Abby Wallace of Lawrence County. “Because of your generosity, I was able to purchase the backpack my son has been asking for me, completely fill my fridge and pantry, and ultimately unloading an overwhelming amount of stress from myself.”

Applicants must have a GED or high school diploma but have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. ASPSF awards scholarships to single moms and dads working toward skilled-trade certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees that lead to professional careers with family-supporting wages. 

Recipients must be enrolled in at least one three-hour class online or in-person. They must also have a 2.0 GPA, earn medium to low income, and participate fully in the ASPSF scholarship program by attending workshops and communicating with their local program manager.

A full list of ASPSF’s eligibility guidelines is available at aspsf.org/eligibility. ASPSF accepts scholarship applications three times a year: spring, summer, and fall. The next application will open for the Spring 2026 semester in January. 

These single parent scholarships are made possible thanks to generous donors, organizations, schools, businesses, and foundations who believe in the incredible power of education. Thanks to community support, ASPSF awarded over 800 scholarships totaling $1.1 million last year. 

For more information, visit aspsf.org or contact Jen Lawrence at jlawrence@aspsf.org or 501.550.6304.

About Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund: Statewide nonprofit Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) is dedicated to ending single parent poverty through higher education. Since 1990, ASPSF has awarded more than $50 million in scholarships and provided services that empower single parents to complete their education and pursue higher-paying careers. With the help of volunteers and community support, ASPSF creates multigenerational change, transforming lives for both single parents and their children. Learn more at aspsf.org.

ASPSF recipient Abby Wallace of Lawrence County celebrates her fall 2024 scholarship with her child. Wallace is working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Arkansas State University.