The last century or so has seen a considerable surge in the onus given to women’s education as more and more women are striving to break the glass ceiling, becoming more than just bread winners but more importantly, business leaders.
However, the fact still remains that women are largely underrepresented when it comes to institutional support especially for non-mainstream interests. In such a situation where many coeducational centers of learning are unable to support funding for exclusively women-centric subjects of interest, a large number of private colleges have stepped forward and are offering a diverse and eclectic range of subjects that can appeal to and draw female students.
A major factor that has supported this is the considerable funding that goes toward sponsoring college grants specifically for women. These grants offered by most private women’s colleges are based both on merit and need and are generous enough to fund the entire education of the recipient.
Many young women, not only from the low-income category but also from the middle-class, receive a quality education at topnotch institutes in the US on account of large donations made by corporates, individuals, and also alumnae of the respective colleges.
The colleges known for the grants offered to women, especially the minority and under-represented groups, include the following:
Wellesley College in Massachusetts – The funding offered to students is significantly not based on merit but focuses on supporting the aid requirements of students from diverse backgrounds pursuing a wide range of subjects.
Spelman College, Atlanta – This is the only educational institution in America that has made a commitment to supporting the educational aid requirements for African-American women.
Barnard College, New York – This is another well-known center for learning that offers need-based grants and provides its students with access to constantly updated lists of private scholarships, not directly provided by the college.
Agnes Scott College, Atlanta – The Goizueta Foundation Scholarship instituted by Agnes Scoot College, Atlanta specifically focuses on funding socially and economically underprivileged female students of Hispanic origins, with an emphasis given to those who demonstrate very high levels of academic excellence and leadership skills.
Other institutions such as the following also support and provide help and grants for women:
Raise the Nation is an NGO that supports the interests of single mothers.
The Sunshine Lady Foundation’s Women’s Independence Scholarship program offers educational funding to women who are victims of domestic abuse.
Such funding of women’s collegiate education through grants offered directly by the college or university or indirectly through funding organizations is veritably the backbone of women’s education in the US and this funding is surely important as research statistics have consistently proven that the percentage of women completing their collegiate education is higher than men.