The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund (JRF) is a unique program that offers scholarships and other forms of financial support for low-income women who are at least 35-years old across the U.S. to create better lives through post-secondary education. 87% of theirs cholars either graduate or continue towards completing a degree. 75% of their scholars are single mothers setting an example for their children to earn a college degree.
The program has been empowering women for more than 40 years through education. Honoring the legacy of an American woman of incredible spirit and determination Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1916. Jeannette was an advocate of women's rights and she devoted her life to helping women and children stand up for social justice. When Jeannette died in 1973 at the age of 92, she donated part of her Georgia estate to help mature, unemployed women workers, providing the funding to create the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, a nonprofit scholarship fund.
Jeannette’s personal assistant Reita Rivers, and dear friends Sue Bailey, Gail Dendy, Margaret Holt, Gail Dendy, and Heather Kleiner established the foundation in 1976 with $16,000 from her Watkinsville, Georgia estate. To honor Jeannette’s request to help mature, low-income women, the foundation was established to award scholarships to support women 35 and older to return to school earning a bachelors or technical degree. The scholarships help cover college tuition but can also be used for living expenses such as rent, childcare, transportation, etc. In 2008, the foundation decided to change its name to Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund to better reflect the organization's mission.
The first $500 scholarship was awarded in 1978. Since then, the foundation has awarded $2.75 million in scholarships, providing financial need to more than 1,000 low-income women from all cultures and backgrounds across the U.S. helping them to overcome poverty and achieve their dreams of a better life.
The deadline to apply for this scholarship is usually in FEBRUARY, and the award amount is usually up to $2,000.
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