MALVERN, Ark. — Central Arkansas Development Council Single Parent Scholarship Fund is accepting applications until July 1 in Hot Spring County. For an application, please contact Wendy Stephens at 1735 E. Sullenberger in Malvern or at 501-337-8401.

Applicants must return a completed application, three letters of recommendation, a current transcript of all completed courses, and a goal statement. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate course of study, with the exception of candidates for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree. Each application is screened and each applicant participates in an interview session.

To qualify for the Single Parent Scholarship, applicants must be a resident of the county in which they are applying, a high school or GED graduate, a single head of household (single, divorced, or widowed), pursuing a career-oriented course of study to ensure a better standard of living for his/her family, a recipient of, or in the process of obtaining a Pell Grant, and must agree to submit to CADC monthly reporting requirements. Applicants cannot already have earned an undergraduate degree with the exception of those pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching.

Income guidelines must also be met. A two-person household must make less than $1,458 per month to be eligible for this scholarship. For each additional family member, add $375 to the monthly income to determine eligibility.

Each scholarship recipient is provided with counseling, information, and referrals in the program. In return, the scholarship recipients are encouraged to participate in fundraising for the program. Every dollar raised locally is matched dollar for dollar, up to $6,000.

The Single Parent Scholarship can be used to offset emergencies such as child care, car repair, fuel, books, and tuition not covered by other sources. The scholarship is a means for our community to assist single parents in returning to school to improve their marketable skills and make their goals attainable. The idea behind the Scholarship Fund is that education is the best way for families to reach self-sufficiency.

CADC is a private nonprofit community action agency that was formed in 1965 to fight and win the “War on Poverty.” The mission of CADC is to improve the quality of life and build strong communities in Arkansas. For more information, please contact Stephens at 501-337-8401.