Some of the Best College Scholarship Programs for Moms

Did you know that there are lots of college scholarship plans that young mothers may be eligible for?

(1) Soroptimist Award
"The Women’s Opportunity Awards program assists women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills and employment prospects.

Each year, more than $1.5 million in education grants are awarded to more than 1,000 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence and/or drug and alcohol abuse. Women’s Opportunity Award recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education, such as books, childcare, tuition and transportation.

(2) Scholarships for Moms
'This $10,000 scholarship is an initiative to help all moms who want to complete their education, but don't have the time, money or the support to meet their goal. Whether you're a new mom, single mom or working mother, our scholarship could help you get ahead."

(3) PEO International
 "The P.E.O. Sisterhood is passionate about its mission: promoting educational opportunities for women."

(4) Women's Independence Scholarship Program
"WISP is designed to help women obtain the money they need to attend college and earn a higher education degree. The program is suited for survivors of domestic abuse from an intimate partner such as a spouse or a boyfriend. The program prefers to award scholarship funds to those enrolled state community colleges, state colleges or universities, and technical or vocational schools. Those enrolled in other programs may also apply."

 (5) Lifetime Foundation 
A very unique scholarship fund- They offer educational scholarships in deep appreciation to birth mothers who have chosen adoption for their children. They have enabled others to experience the joy of becoming parents and created futures, not only for those families, but also for their children, for a lifetime.

(6) In Oregon, check out this website of resources for our state!

If you are unexpectedly pregnant and wondering if you will be able to go to or finish college, come by our office at 1st Way and we can tell you more about resources that can help you stay in school!

1667 High Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401

Call 541.687.8651
or 1-800-848-LOVE

Come Visit Our Local 1st Way Center!

Take a look at our local First Way Center! 

We're located at 1667 High St, near downtown and the University of Oregon. 

Walk-Ins Are Welcome!

 First Way is a comfortable place for a woman to go when she needs someone to talk to when she's wondering if she's pregnant.

We offer free pregnancy tests and free ultrasound. 


Come in and see us!

Call  541.687.8651.

Unplanned Pregnancies- Successful Moms

Wonderful stories to share today!

Watch or read this powerful interview with Ashlee Bush-
"I felt like I was in movie or a bad dream.  I started to pray, and I kept thinking to myself that this cannot be happening!"
 http://pregnantoncampus.studentsforlife.org/2013/02/12/you-are-not-alone-ashlees-story/

UK Magazine- Ask a Mum-
Real Life Experiences with Unplanned Pregnancies
http://www.askamum.co.uk/Pregnancy/Search-Results/Real-life-experiences/Unplanned-pregnancies-/

What to Expect- Forum for Unplanned Pregnancy
 http://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/young-moms/archives/22-yrs-old-unplanned-pregnancy-story.html

Improving Friendships During Pregnancy

I did a little research around the web today about how to be a better friend when one of you has an unplanned pregnancy.

What should you do if a good friend is suddenly and unexpectedly pregnant? Do you know how to help and support her? This video and article comes from the UK.

http://www.videojug.com/film/what-to-do-when-your-friend-gets-pregnant

What should you do if you become unexpectedly pregnant and your old friends start to avoid you?

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/ask-heidi/week-29/friendships.aspx

How do friends often feel when they find out you're pregnant? (The author feels betrayed and abandoned and she has a hard time dealing with her feelings.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-bidwell-smith/pregnancy-friend-pregnant_b_1542191.html

Understanding what your friend is going through, whether you or she becomes pregnant, is a foundational step in keeping your friendships strong during the time you need them most- especially during the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy.

Great Web Resources for Young Moms

It's more trendy lately to wait until later in life to have children, in order to get a head start on a career or to build financial stability, but sometimes life has a whole new idea- You have an unplanned pregnancy while in college or in your early twenties.

Check out some great things that have been created by other young women, when life threw them a surprise. These are some impressive ladies!

Picture above is from tinybluelines.com

Early Mama

This website, "Early Mama" is for those women who choose to have their babies earlier. The website offers support and inspiration for mothers both married and single. The site is run by Michelle Horton, a 26-year-old mother, wife, and optimist.  she now spends her days as a work-from-home writer. She writes daily for Babble.com, Disney Baby, and mom.me, and she has a weekly column with Parenting Magazine.She's also been published at The Huffington Post, CNN.com,  SELF Magazine, Yahoo! Shine, The Stir, the Etsy blog, and several book anthologies. She was named a Cision Most Influential Mama in 2012, Café Mom named Early Mama one of the “10 Blogs That Will Change the Way You Look at Motherhood,” and Early Mama has been cited in The Huffington Post and Psychology Today.

http://www.earlymama.com/

The Young Mommy Life

Here's another great one, very similar to "Early Mama." It's called, "The Young Mommy Life."

Tara Pringle Jefferson is the founder and editor of TheYoungMommyLife.com, one of the first websites created specifically for young mothers’ concerns. She is an author, social media consultant and young parent advocate. Created in 2008, The Young Mommy Life has been featured on Sirius XM, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Ebony magazine, WhatToExpect.com, and BlackAmericaWeb.com for its realistic portrayal of young motherhood and all it entails. With readers logging on from South Africa to London to Brazil, The Young Mommy Life is a global movement for changing how young mothers are perceived in the media, by policymakers, and in our communities.

http://www.theyoungmommylife.com/

Tiny Blue Lines

This next site, "Tiny Blue Lines," is impressive too. The site is by Chaunie, a freelance writer, speaker, labor and delivery nurse, and an advocate for women facing unexpected pregnancy. She's the mom to two little girls and one "adorably chunky little man." And she's writing the book on young motherhood.

http://www.tinybluelines.com/

I Didn't Plan this Pregnancy- What Should I do?

Every day in America...

• 16,438 women become pregnant
• 8,219 women experience an unplanned pregnancy

As you can see, if you didn't plan your pregnancy, you are definitely not alone. About half of all pregnancies in America aren't planned. 

But, sometimes the best things in life happen when we're making other plans! The situation you're in might not be ideal, but what is? 

Here are some good resources to check out right now on the web-

How To Plan for an Unplanned Pregnancy

Help from Women's Health.gov

Parenting.com Unplanned Pregnancy Forum

Most people struggle with what to do in unplanned pregnancy because of financial worries. Ask yourself whether you would want to give birth if you could afford it?

There ARE ways to afford it. There are people who want to help you.

First Way of Eugene, Oregon is a great place to go to find out about the resources in our community that can help make sure your needs and the baby's needs are well taken care of. Also, take a look at our resource page!

Come and visit First Way
 1667 High Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401

Call 541.687.8651 

Hours: M-Th 10-4 and Fri 11-2

Here's some other information for people struggling with financial issues

Statistics from-
American Pregnancy Association
 http://americanpregnancy.org/about

Unplanned Pregnancy? You need emotional support!

Pregnant? Wondering what to do? Have a friend that is in that situation? We have lots of resources here on the website for you to look at and review.

Send an email: talk2agoodfriend@gmail.com

Interesting- Did you know that if you google "friendship" and "pregnancy," about 70% of the links that come up are about losing friends when women become pregnant? Many of the articles are about how to keep and retain those friends. We at "Talk to a Friend" hope to help you make new friendships as well as maintain those you already have. 

During an unplanned pregnancy, you need intense emotional support from friends. Looking for suggestions? Tips? Follow our blog as we address these concerns over the next few weeks.

Here are a few articles about women who were completely taken off guard by unplanned pregnancy, worked through the emotional chaos and confusion and their lives are even better as a result.

How I Unexpectedly Had Four Kids!

http://moms.popsugar.com/How-I-Unexpectedly-Had-4-Kids-27333211?ref=25506583

Unplanned Pregnancy Announcements- How do family and friends respond?
http://pregnancy.about.com/u/ua/announcingyourpregnancy/Your-Family-And-Friends-Reaction-To-Your-Pregnancy-Announcement.htm

Check back regularly for more news, articles, information, friendship and support!

Give us a call at 541.687.8651 if you live in Eugene, Oregon and would like to come in for a pregnancy test or ultrasound or just to talk about what's going on.