Grants for Single Mothers in Virginia

A single mother is a woman raising a child/children alone without the father. There are lots of risks associated with being a single mother, which is why the Government both State and Federal level have collaborated in their different ways to ensure that some assistance is given to single mothers in the form of grants. These grants sometimes come in form of scholarship schemes, loans, and housing assistance all to ensure the well being of single mothers in Virginia.

There are many helpful support programs put in place by organizations, State, and Federal Governments to make sure that single mothers don’t have a hard time living in the state. Some of these financial assistance includes:

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

Virginia has taken steps with other 25 states in the United States including the District of Columbia to implement their version of EITC which is also in line with the eligibility rules of the federal guidelines. This program was designed to help families, primarily single mothers, access a modest credit which is established at 1/5 of federal credit grant, as against the taxes they owe on a state level. In specifics, it is designed to work this way: “the less these families (single mothers) work, the less they owe”, that way, it will enable them to more for the home front. One interesting aspect of Virginia’s EIC is that it is non-refundable, unlike the EITC. For more information click here.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

This cash assistance program is meant to be temporary. It is designed for low-income families residing in Virginia in mind. The primary obligation of this program is to assist those families living within the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to at least become self-sufficient. The eligibility requirement for this program includes active participation in the Virginia Initiative for Employment, not Welfare (VIEW) program. To apply for this program in person at your suppose DSS office or you as well do it electronically via an online platform.

Medicaid

This program is designed to serve individuals, single mothers, as well as families in need, especially those who could not afford their medical care. The Virginia Medicaid program is specifically limited to both disabled adults, children under 19 years old, pregnant women, and single mothers with two children. On the extension of the program, the government of Virginia has reviewed the eligibility status of this program, among those that will be given special preference are disabled adults, parents who earn below 47% income, and single mothers who earn less than $6,700 annually. Click here to apply for Virginia Medicaid

Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS)

This program is designed specifically for children under the age of 19 as well as single mothers. It helps them access quality healthcare services especially those children that are uninsured. FAMIS Plus is the children’s version of Medicaid which was designed to cater for those children who come from families with no or low income earning. “FAMIS Moms” is another version of FAMIS that targets those pregnant women that could not afford health insurance, and also earns income that ranks 200% below the poverty rate. FAMIS doesn’t have either enrollment or premium packages but qualified participates will only have to pay $2 or $5 as a co-payment bill. Click here for more information.

Head Start

This program is designed mostly for pre-school children from age 3-5 years old who are mostly from families living below the government stipulated poverty level.  Its primary purpose is basically to provide services like good healthcare, comprehensive education, social services, nutritional services, etc.  Those eligible for this program are those children in foster care, children from families receiving government assistance, and homeless children as well.  To register for this program you need either to visit the Head Start Centers close to you or visit the online portal here.

Unemployment Insurance

This program helps in providing temporary replacement of those who lost their jobs or those who are unemployed by accident for up to 26 weeks. To be eligible for this program, you must be an active job seeker, and to get those benefits associated with it you must be able to find one (a job) otherwise your benefits will be denied. Click here for more on the Virginia Unemployment Insurance.

Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)

The program is designed to help residents in the state of Virginia who could not afford to attend either a private college or university education.  Application into this grant comes every July 31st and closes no later than Dec 1st.  The eligibility of this grant is not specific; it actually depends on the availability of funds at that time of the year. But based on the recent funding rate so far, the program has awarded a maximum of $3,270 for undergraduate and $11,640 for graduates. For more information on this program visit the online platform.