Scholarships for Premature Babies – I believe that almost all of you understand the financial hurdle in order for someone to get a degree in the United States. The tuition fees, settling costs, books cost, and other educational-related costs allow only a portion of people to be able to get higher education without getting themselves into debts. For common people, we are accustomed to submitting ourselves to student loans that take years to be paid.
However, that’s not always the case. There are many scholarship and grant programs from the government, foundations or organizations that can help these students financially. Most of the grant programs are given based on the financial need of the student. Meanwhile, most of the scholarship programs are given based on academic merits.
Scholarships for Premature Birth Babies
Scholarship programs don’t always stay on the safe side, at least that’s what shown in the several unusual scholarship programs that we’ve encountered so far. There are many types of scholarships, from the race-specific to die-hard movie fans. However, recently I heard yet another type of non-traditional scholarship that is available for people who were born prematurely.
As odd as it sounds, some people really do look for this kind of non-traditional scholarship. Based on our research, some believe that there is premature infant scholarship available in the United States. Is it real or is it just some baseless information?
The number of premature babies in the United States each year is 15 million. That number is pretty big if you ask me. If we take an average number of people who are born premature and go to college, the number is also quite significant.
So far we haven’t been able to find any scholarship program that is based its eligibility on the premature birth status of its applicants. Therefore, unfortunately, there’s no educational privilege for someone being prematurely born.
Scholarship for Premature Babies – The Alternatives
As we’ve said earlier, there are several options available. The first is to pursue the standard scholarships and grants. For example, you can fulfill your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, the most well-known educational free money from the government. If you are eligible, then you have a much better chance to obtain other forms of financial aid. It is because the FAFSA can indicate if you are financially needy or not.
There are also many foundations that provide financial assistance for specific programs, professions or other categories. These can be considered as your common scholarship programs. However, there are still many other unusual scholarship opportunities available! I highly recommend you to keep on searching the one that fits your condition the most. The most important part is that you don’t give up in pursuing your higher education degree.
There will always be competition, but you might have a better chance of getting the money if you pursue the non-traditional scholarships. Also, it is important to remember to apply for the regular ones. In fact, we encourage all of our readers to apply for every grant and scholarship opportunities that they are eligible for.
Infant/Toddler Scholarships
The Infant/Toddler Scholarship program helps parents pay for good early education for their young children. These scholarships are for kids who are under 3 years old on September 15 and who meet certain requirements.
Child Eligibility
- Family income needs to be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level to qualify for School Ready Scholarships and at or below 250% to qualify for Infant & Toddler Scholarships.
- Child must be between 0-5 years old on September 15 and not entering Kindergarten.
- Child must not be eligible for State Child Care Assistance or Promise Jobsreim funding for this care.
- No Head Start slot should be available for the child.
- Child must live in Johnson County.
- For Infant/Toddler Scholarships, all parents/caregivers must work at least 25 hours per week.
Family Responsibility
- Families must apply directly for the program.
- Families must ensure their child’s care provider agrees to accept the scholarship reimbursement.
- Families must follow their contract with the provider.
- Families are responsible for any tuition and fees not covered by the scholarship.
For Providers
Each early education program will sign a contract with JCSS for Infant/Toddler Scholarships and Empowerment for School Ready Scholarships. They agree to:
- Participate in a quality rating program (like NAEYC, NAFCC, QRS, IQ4K).
- Be reimbursed at their current rate.
- Collect any additional fees from the family.
- Provide performance data as required by the state or county.
Early Learning Scholarships Program
What is an Early Learning Scholarship? An Early Learning Scholarship helps families pay for high-quality child care and early education as their child prepares to start school. To use the scholarship, you must choose a program that has a Parent Aware rating. Parent Aware is a tool that helps parents find the best child care and early education programs.
The scholarships make it easier for children from birth to 4 years old, especially those with the greatest needs, to access top-notch early childhood programs. To be eligible, children must be from birth to 4 years old on September 1 of the current school year, and families must meet the requirements set by Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.165.
Starting July 1, 2024, the maximum award amounts for Early Learning Scholarships will depend on several factors:
- The child’s age
- The type of program
- The location of the program is determined by the county.
- Whether the program participates in Parent Aware
These factors will determine how much financial assistance a family can receive.
Here is a complete explanation about scholarships for premature babies. So far, there are no specific scholarship programs designed for premature babies. However, you can take advantage of all available scholarship opportunities to support your child’s development.
References:
- Grants and scholarships are free money to help pay for college or career school (https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships)
- Image: iamforkids.org
- (https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/school-ready-scholarship)
- (https://education.mn.gov/mde/fam/elsprog/elschol/)
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