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Candice Madsen reportingIf you know a "Smart Woman" or if you think you have an interesting Smart Woman topic, you can contact Candice at cmadsen@ksl.com.
A lot of moms consider going back to school. But where do you find the time and money?
A new Internet campaign called Project Working Mom is providing all kinds of opportunity, including scholarships.
Like most moms, Jen Schwartz's life is a balancing act. She has four kids, runs the private school Sego Lily with her husband and recently completed a master's degree. How did she juggle it all? "I wrote virtually every paper with a nursing baby on my lap," she says. "I was able to go to class at 2 a.m., if that's when he happened to be awake."
Jen completed her master's degree in education through American Intercontinental University's (AIU) online program.
She says the program's flexibility worked well with her busy schedule. "I can fit in school where I can fit it, instead of saying this is where school is, and I want to fit my family around it," Jen says.
AIU is one of three universities - along with Walden and Devry - that has partnered with eLearners.com to create Project Working Mom.
The goal is to make online education available and affordable to moms. Terrence Thomas, with Project Working Mom, says, "We understand that the barriers for working moms to go back to school revolve around time, money and confidence."
Project Working Mom is offering at least $2 million in full-ride scholarships. The Web site also includes a comprehensive database of other available scholarships and grants. You don't have to be a working mom to apply. It's also for moms trying to get back into the workforce.
Thomas says, "Through online education we can help working mothers get the education they need to improve their careers and their financial standing."
Schwartz says, "I thought it was great, just as good as going to a brick and mortar campus."
All kinds of degrees are available online, including doctorate programs. The first round of scholarships will be granted around Mother's Day.
For more information and to apply for a scholarship go to the related links.
