Taman Siswa

The Saline County Single Parent Scholarship Fund will be accepting applications from now until June 30, 2006.

The scholarship fund is sponsored by Central Arkansas Development Council, a United Way agency. The fund reportedly has awarded 278 scholarships totaling more than $140,000 since 1990.

Each scholarship recipient is provided with counseling, information, referrals in the program, and in return the recipient is required to participate in annual fund-raising drives. Eligible expenses must be documented, pre-approved and payments of scholarship monies are made directly to vendors.

Every dollar raised locally is matched dollar for dollar (up to $5,000) by the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund, which receives funding through the Walton Family Foundation.

The scholarship is a means for the community to assist single parents in returning to school to improve their marketable skills and make their goals attainable. Welfare reform has resulted in communities investing methods to help people in their time of need.

The basic idea behind the fund is that education and long-term employment are the best long term solutions for these families to reach self-sufficiency.

Single Parent Scholarships are used to offset emergencies such as child care, car repair, fuel, books, and tuition not covered by other sources or other emergencies that can interrupt their education.

The mission of CADC is to improve the quality of life and build strong communities in Arkansas.

For more information, contact Valerie Ramsey at 501-315-0885.