Scholarships and Education Grants for Single Mothers in Wyoming

Where to start this week

1. 
   Choose your school year.
   
   File the right FAFSA. Include every Wyoming school you might attend. You can update the school list later.
2. 
   Apply to the school.
   
   Wyoming state awards often need admission to an eligible degree, certificate, or job training program.
3. 
   Talk to financial aid.
   
   Say you are a student parent. Ask which state, school, and federal awards may fit your age, enrollment, degree goal, and financial need.
4. 
   Make a full cost plan.
   
   Include books, child care, transport, internet, and living costs. Tuition is only one cost of school.
5. 
   Keep proof.
   
   Save FAFSA confirmation, the school application, scholarship receipts, emails, and deadlines.

The

Wyoming help page

has the statewide overview. The

Wyoming assistance guide

explains other help with monthly costs. These are separate from college scholarships.

Know the types of education aid

An aid offer can mix money you do not pay back with loans you do. The federal

types of aid guide

explains the main options.

Quick comparison of Wyoming education help

Dollar amounts are maximums, not promises.

Your school or state agency decides the actual award. Ask how each grant affects the aid already in your offer.

FAFSA and federal student aid

Pell Grant: start here

The

Federal Pell Grant

is often the first grant to check. The maximum for

2026–27 is $7,395

. The federal government has not yet posted the 2027–28 maximum. Your award can be smaller due to your Student Aid Index, school costs, course load, length of the program, and remaining eligibility.

Pell usually does not need repayment. But if you leave early or drop classes, the school may need to return some aid and bill you. Ask before you change your schedule.

Being a parent may change your FAFSA status

FAFSA does not decide independent status from age alone. Under federal

dependency rules

, a student may be independent if she has a child who receives more than half of their support from her for the period stated in the form. Having a child does not automatically make every applicant independent. Follow the questions for the form year you use.

If you live apart from a child’s other parent, receive child support, or share a home with relatives, ask your school how to answer the support questions. Do not guess.

When old tax returns no longer fit

FAFSA may use tax records from a year when you earned more. If you lost a job, had hours cut, separated, or now pay more for necessary costs, file FAFSA first. Then read the federal

special circumstances guidance

and ask the school’s aid office for a professional-judgment review. The school decides which records to request and whether an adjustment is allowed.

Ask about child care in your school budget

Tell your school what care costs while you attend class, study, or travel to school. Ask whether its student cost-of-attendance budget can include dependent-care costs under federal rules. This may affect how much aid you can receive, but it does not create a new grant or guarantee extra funds.

FSEOG, work-study, and the TEACH Grant

Some schools offer the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) to students with high need. It can run out. Federal work-study is a paid job, not free money; ask whether jobs fit your class, transport, and child care schedule.

The

TEACH Grant

comes with teaching service rules. If you do not meet the service duty, it may become a loan. Have the aid office explain the terms before accepting it.

ASMOM’s

Pell and FAFSA guide

can help you plan federal aid along with other support.

Wyoming scholarships and grants

Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship

The state

Wyoming’s Tomorrow program

helps eligible Wyoming residents age

24 or older

work toward a degree or certificate at Wyoming community colleges or the University of Wyoming.

The maximum is

$1,800 per full-time semester

, or

$150 per credit hour

when enrolled part-time, up to

$7,200 in total

and no more than the equivalent of four full-time terms. You must have unmet financial need. The state also checks residency, citizenship or eligible noncitizen status, and other rules. A current Hathaway recipient cannot receive Wyoming’s Tomorrow at the same time.

How to apply:

Apply to an eligible school; file FAFSA; register with the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services; and submit the Wyoming’s Tomorrow request to the school. The school checks your need and available funding. Laramie County Community College’s

2026–27 scholarship page

says applications are open and must be filed

before the first class day of the semester

. Other schools set their own steps, so confirm dates with yours.

Renewal requires continued eligibility, enough academic progress, and available money. A first-year award does not guarantee later terms.

Wyoming Works

The

Wyoming Works program

supports selected community college courses and certificates linked to jobs. Check the current program list with your chosen college before enrolling. Health care, trades, technical, and business training may fit, but only approved programs count.

For 2026–27,

LCCC lists

up to

$2,360 per academic year

for a standard grant and

$4,720 per academic year

for a critical-program grant. These are LCCC’s listed maximum levels, not a promise that each Wyoming school or student will receive those amounts. Your remaining unmet need can limit the award.

File FAFSA and the school’s Wyoming Works application. Residency, eligible noncitizen status, financial need, program approval, and other conditions may apply. LCCC instructs students to apply before their first day of classes. Ask if the grant covers your exact course, including prerequisites or noncredit classes.

Hathaway Scholarship

The

Hathaway Scholarship

is mainly for eligible Wyoming high school, home school, or High School Equivalency Certificate (HSEC) graduates. It has merit levels and possible need-based aid. The rules cover residency, school courses, GPA, test scores, when you first apply, and progress in college.

Following 2026 legislation, the

University of Wyoming lists

these merit amounts starting fall 2026 for students enrolled in

12 or more credits

:

$2,360

per semester for Honors,

$1,770

for Performance, and

$1,180

for Opportunity or Provisional. Part-time awards may be smaller; UW lists a six-credit minimum for fall and spring. A separate need-based award may also apply, using its own calculation.

Most eligible high school and HSEC graduates must start Hathaway within

four years

of finishing school. Home school graduates generally must start before age

21

. Ask about limited approved exceptions, including certain service situations. Hathaway does not start just because you file FAFSA. Ask your college to check your initial eligibility, records, and renewal rules. Do not use old Hathaway amounts in your budget.

Douvas Memorial Scholarship

Wyoming’s

Douvas Memorial Scholarship

awards

one $500 scholarship

each year to a first-generation American student who has financial need, lives in Wyoming, and meets the education and age rules. Applicants are Wyoming high school seniors or Wyoming college students ages

18–22

. The money must be used at a Wyoming community college or the University of Wyoming.

The

2026 application period was February 1–April 30, 2026

, and is closed. The 2026 award was scheduled to go to the recipient’s college in August 2026. Check the state page for the next cycle; do not assume the same dates for 2027.

School and parent scholarships

Each school may have foundation awards, department scholarships, transfer support, completion funds, and emergency aid. The

University of Wyoming scholarship page

offers a starting point, including help for nontraditional students. Ask your college if one scholarship application can match you with several awards.

For new, first-time Wyoming resident students, UW’s

Cowboy Commitment

lists annual levels of

$1,000, $2,000, $4,000, and $6,500

. Admission, academic details, campus, scholarship forms, and available funds matter. UW Online and transfer students are not covered by this first-time-student program; UW lists other options for them.

Live Your Dream Awards

The

Live Your Dream Awards

help women who are the main financial support for themselves and dependents, have financial need, and are in or accepted to eligible undergraduate or vocational training. Applicants must meet the full rules, including not already holding or pursuing a graduate degree.

Applications are listed for

August 1–November 15

. As of October 19, 2026, that seasonal period is underway. Check the site’s online system and club-based process. The application calls for a personal statement in your own voice and references; it is not an instant award.

Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Support Award

The

Patsy Mink Foundation

offered

five awards of up to $5,000

for the 2026–27 cycle to qualifying low-income women with minor children pursuing approved education or training.

That application cycle closed August 1, 2026.

The foundation says it plans to publish 2027–28 information in

May 2027

. Check the current rules before you plan for the next round.

Keep one scholarship folder

Save your FAFSA confirmation, aid offers, a short statement about your education goal, school cost sheet, transcript, resume, and contact details for people who may give references. Each program sets its own format and deadlines. Never pay someone who promises a guaranteed scholarship.

Child care and food while you study

Wyoming’s

Child Care Subsidy Program

may help eligible low-income families while a parent works, looks for work, attends approved school, or takes job training. DFS checks both income and the approved activity. For parents earning a college degree, it lists rules for classes toward a first bachelor’s degree. Other cases may need a more detailed review.

DFS pays only for eligible care hours and up to its approved provider rate. You may owe a family share or costs above that rate. Care providers must meet health and safety rules. Use the official

ECARES portal

to apply or find information. Gather class hours, job schedule, pay records, child information, and provider details.

Our

Wyoming child care guide

explains the next steps. Child care approval does not guarantee an open spot at the provider you want.

If groceries are hard to afford, see

Wyoming SNAP help

and

Wyoming WIC benefits

. SNAP rules for college students can be different, so ask DFS about student exemptions and other household rules instead of assuming you cannot apply. WIC has separate rules for pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies, and children under five.

Workforce training help

Wyoming’s Department of Workforce Services runs programs under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The official

WIOA page

covers eligible adults, youth, and workers who lost jobs. A parent returning to work may qualify for career planning, coaching, and approved training after review.

Use the state’s

training program list

to check possible courses. Being on the list means the course may be eligible for WIOA support, not that you have been approved for payment. Your Workforce Center must review your case and program.

Ask staff if tuition, exams, work tools, bus fare, or another needed expense can be covered.

Get approval before enrolling or paying

if you hope WIOA will cover the bill. If one course is not approved, ask about other jobs or training routes.

Documents and details to gather

You may not need every item. Use only official school, government, or verified scholarship portals to send sensitive records.

Save dates, confirmation numbers, and copies of notices. Ask each office what other proof it accepts if you are missing one paper.

Common mistakes to avoid

• 
  Using the wrong FAFSA:
  
  Check whether you are applying for 2026–27 or 2027–28. Ask about summer terms.
• 
  Looking only for grants for moms:
  
  Check need-based, age-based, career, school, and merit awards too.
• 
  Missing the extra application:
  
  Wyoming’s Tomorrow and Wyoming Works require school steps beyond FAFSA.
• 
  Mixing up Hathaway and Wyoming’s Tomorrow:
  
  You cannot collect both at once under Wyoming’s Tomorrow rules.
• 
  Using older award amounts:
  
  Hathaway increased in fall 2026; check current school rates.
• 
  Withdrawing before asking:
  
  Leaving classes can change federal and state aid and child care approval.
• 
  Starting training before approval:
  
  WIOA may not pay costs you took on first.
• 
  Taking every offered loan:
  
  Ask how to accept only the amount you need.

What to do if aid is denied, delayed, or too low

Start with the office that made the decision. Ask for the reason in writing, any missing document, the deadline to respond, and the steps for a review or appeal.

Do not assume every scholarship or federal-aid appeal has the same deadline.

1. 
   Check both portals.
   
   FAFSA and the school’s student-aid portal may show missing signatures or other tasks.
2. 
   Ask for an income review.
   
   Tell the financial aid office if old tax data no longer fits your current situation.
3. 
   Check school progress rules.
   
   If aid was stopped for grades or completed credits, ask about a satisfactory academic progress appeal and the school’s evidence rules.
4. 
   Ask about part-time classes.
   
   Check how each award changes if you take fewer hours.
5. 
   Try a backup route.
   
   Ask about a payment plan, emergency grant, different approved course, work-study job, or a lower-cost school.
6. 
   Contact the right agency.
   
   For child care, ask DFS; for job training, ask the Workforce Center; for scholarships, start at your school’s financial aid office.

If a temporary cash benefit might help you follow a school or work plan, read the

Wyoming TANF guide

and confirm the current POWER rules with DFS. TANF is a separate program and does not pay every school expense.

Phone scripts you can use