Deciding to pursue higher education is a big and responsible step. Becoming a student, you step on a difficult academic path that consists of an intensive curriculum, hours of having your nose in a textbook, tons of homework, and a variety of other challenges. And there is no secret that running for a degree also costs lots of money.

For most young people, paying for a college is already much of a stress. Preparing for college may be quite nerve-racking, too, especially when it comes to passing SAT and ACT tests, which may be quite challenging. However, to be on the safe side, and pass the tests successfully, find out all the details, including sat test length. Unfortunately, there are some other situations that can take a toll on you both emotionally and financially, making it barely possible to complete your course. One such situation is the loss of a parent.

Losing a family member and especially a parent is difficult. Students who have experienced this may have issues with exam results, homework, attendance, and grades. Luckily, there are ways to cope with these issues. For example, hiring professional essay writers from a reliable essay writing service will help you take off some load. You can entrust writing your admission essay or other tasks to professionals and, thus, get more time to cope with the loss, without giving up on your grades. And hiring a tutor will help you catch up on everything you’ve missed throughout the semester.

But, how to cope with financial issues? Indeed, losing a parent causes significant financial stress on a family. Students who experience it often struggle to pay for college. However, to ease the financial stress, colleges and organizations offer a special type of scholarship for students going through such a tough stage of their lives.

Top 6 Offers of Scholarship for Students Who Have Lost a Parent

If you’ve lost a parent, opting for a scholarship may be the most important step in affording your degree. Many schools and non-profit organizations recognize the negative impact of such an experience on students’ ability to pay for college and offer a variety of options to get financial aid.

In the list below, you can find some of the available grant options with requirements and recommendations on how to get a full-ride scholarship:

Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others

This award, sponsored by the Delaware Department of Education makes education affordable for children of any of the following:

• Member of the armed forces
• State police officer
• State employee of the Department of Transportation

In order to be eligible for this aid, you must be a child of one of the aforementioned figures, who have deceased due to service-related causes, was declared missing in action, or held as a prisoner of war. The participants must be between 16 to 24 years of age and residents of Delaware. Also, the award requires that a lost, declared missing or imprisoned parent has to be a resident of the state as well.

The program compensates for the tuition and fees at your public college in Delaware. In the case when the chosen subject course is not offered at a public college, the award may also be granted to an attendant of a private institution. Finally, the program may also aid students who are pursuing education outside of the state in case the specific program is not offered in any local facility.

Children of Fallen Heroes

Another program available for students who have lost a parent is the Children of Fallen Heroes. The program awards federal Pell Grants to eligible students who show financial need and have a deceased parent. The amount of grant varies depending on multiple factors.

LIFE Lessons Scholarship Program

This next program is offered by a non-profit organization. To get financial support, the applicants are required to make a video or write an essay that tells about how the loss of a parent has influenced your life. The amount of an award varies between $1,000 and $10,000. The program is basically looking for unique stories that describe not only the immediate effects of the loss but also emphasize the long-term effects on the family.

After the specified deadline, the organization reviews submitted videos and papers and awards the most outstanding ones with a scholarship. By the way, this might be as well another case when it is wise to order an essay from professionals to ensure success.

Kids’ Chance

The Kids’ Chance organization was founded in 1988. Today, the organization operates in 47 states and provides eligible children with financial support to complete their degrees. To be eligible for one of their grants, a student must have lost a parent due to an on-the-job injury. The amounts of grants vary depending on multiple factors.

AFP&CC Scholarship

The American Federation of Police and Concerned Citizens have long created a fund for police family survivors. The fund actively provides counseling, support, and emergency assistance. It also offers a few programs aiming to help police family survivors cope with their financial struggles.

One of their programs is the AFP&CC scholarship for college students. The award is provided to legal spouses and children of a law enforcement officer who has deceased in the line of duty. The program is open both to future and current students of any level. Thus, even if you are already in the middle of getting your Bachelor’s degree, you can still participate.

There is no deadline for participation. However, there are a few requirements that make you eligible for the ward:

• Enrolled in at least 6 credit hours;
• Have a minimum of 2.0 GPA;
• Provide a copy of the most recent college transcript (if you are a currently enrolled student);
• Provide a high school transcript, a copy of the acceptance letter from your college, and your SAT/ACT exam scores.

Families of Freedom

Another program is created specifically to aid the dependents of the people who died in the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. To participate, students need to register with the Families of Freedom fund and submit their applications by the specified deadline. To be eligible for a program, you must be currently enrolled or plan to study at a trade school, technical school, or 2-4 year college. In some cases, even graduate students may be eligible for the award.