Distance Education Leader Ashworth College Partners with 'Project Working Mom 2010' to Offer Full-Tuition Scholarships to Working Parents

The national online education program has raised nearly $5 million in financial aid to help send adults back to school

NORCROSS, Ga., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ashworth College announced today that it is partnering with "Project Working Mom 2010" to award 25 full-tuition scholarships.  Ashworth (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu) is one of eight accredited online schools participating in this fourth Project Working Mom program which will award nearly $5 million in financial aid through 285 scholarships.  This is the second year that Ashworth College has participated, having already awarded 13 full-tuition scholarships during previous Project Working Mom programs.

"We're excited to participate with Project Working Mom for the second consecutive year," said Gary Keisling, Ashworth President and CEO. "It's been a fantastic opportunity for Ashworth College to help make a difference and allow deserving, hard-working parents the chance to improve their lives by completing their education online."

"Education can take skills - and income - to the next level," Keisling added. "More importantly it can set an employee or business owner apart as a professional and help demonstrate business knowledge to peers, potential customers and employers."

Project Working Mom 2010 is an eLearners.com initiative to help answer the cry for financial aid from adult students who want to go back to school, but can't afford to do so. Three previous Project Working Mom programs in 2008 and 2009 generated more than 435,000 applications and sent about 150 parents back to school through $6 million in scholarships.

"Through the generous support of our partner schools, we have been able to transform many families by helping moms and dads realize their goal of a college degree," said Terrence Thomas, Executive Vice President of Marketing for eLearners.com. "For many parents, they weren't able to get the education they wanted because life just got in the way. This program assists people to get back on track because it helps to eliminate three major hurdles: time, money and confidence."

Project Working Mom 2010 tackles these barriers by:

• Time: To help with the dilemma of time, Project Working Mom 2010 offers scholarships for accredited online colleges and universities. The flexible nature of online schooling allows adults to tailor their education to fit their schedule.  By studying online, students also don't have to worry about traveling to campus or finding childcare.
• Money:  Clearly, there is not enough financial aid available for adults to return to school.  According to FinancialAidSuperSite.com, 98 percent of all financial aid resources are scholarships and grants for traditional students. However, 84 percent of students are not traditional college students, defined as someone 18-22 years old, attending school full-time and living on campus.  Project Working Mom 2010 is designed to provide more financial aid relief, with tuition-free scholarships, for deserving adults looking to go back to school.
• Confidence: Project Working Mom 2010 also helps boost confidence by creating a complementary, interactive and in-depth website at www.projectworkingmom.com.  The site is rich with resources about going back to school.  Additionally, the site is filled with inspirational stories of other adults, particularly moms, who have returned to school to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

People interested in applying for this round of scholarships must:

• Complete a short application at www.projectworkingmom.com.  
• Write an essay describing their goals, instances of triumph over adversity and why online education is an ideal match for them.

The Project Working Mom 2010 scholarships are for online programs from the associate's to Ph.D. level.  Ashworth College is offering online Career Diploma and online Associate degree and Master's degree scholarships.  Project Working Mom 2010 will conclude in September 2010, with scholarships awarded throughout the eight-month program. The deadlines to submit an application are March 1, April 27 and September 30.

"When I was in high school, I had my future planned out perfectly. I was captain of the basketball team, an active member in JROTC, I ran cross country and I had been accepted to college with an academic scholarship. I was ready to take on life by and experience college," said Meghann Mincey, 2009 Project Working Mom Scholarship recipient.  "When the nurse told me I was two months pregnant my heart almost burst."

"Online education and Ashworth College has shown me that I can still achieve my goals," the Statesboro, GA resident added. "Not only will earning my degree have a positive impact on my financial situation and my living conditions – it's given me the flexibility to care for my daughter, study and work. It will also influence the way my daughter views life when she sees the challenges that I have overcome for her."

About Ashworth College

Ashworth College, a leader in distance education, offers students worldwide more than 100 career-focused online high school and career diploma programs; undergraduate and graduate online certificate programs; and online Associate degree, Bachelor's degree and Master's degree programs that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth also offers specialized programs to corporate partners, active duty military personnel, military spouses, and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a division of the US Department of Education. Ashworth High School is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). For more information visit AshworthCollege.edu.

About eLearners.com®

eLearners.com is one of several high visibility websites operated by EducationDynamics. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners.com provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online degree program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources.

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Gary Keisling

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SOURCE Ashworth College