eLearners.com and The Tyra Show Surprise Three Moms with Full-Tuition Online-College Scholarships

HOBOKEN, N.J., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Project Working Mom (www.projectworkingmom.com) and The Tyra Show helped transform the lives of three women on April 23, 2010 when they awarded the very deserving moms full-tuition online-college scholarships during an episode of The Tyra Show. After sharing the women's stories, Tyra surprised each of the moms granting them all a scholarship to study online. Now all three mothers have the opportunity to go to college without having to worry about the cost, thanks to Project Working Mom and three accredited online schools: Ashford University, Ashworth College and Everest University.

"I was absolutely stunned, it was a watershed moment between the impossible and the possible," said Celeste Chappell-Bates, an Ashford University scholarship recipient, recalling how she felt after receiving the scholarship. "I'd tried to complete my degree my entire adult life and so many things kept getting in the way – finances being the biggest obstacle – and that was taken away in an instant. It was unbelievable, a huge blessing."

Each of the women awarded full-tuition scholarships on The Tyra Show submitted an essay to www.projectworkingmom.com describing their goals, why education is important to them and past instances of triumph over adversity.

"When I found out I won it was such an amazing feeling and such a relief," said Jamie Harrington, one of the Project Working Mom recipients who was also surprised on the show. "My oldest son is getting ready to go to college in the fall, so I really didn't know how or when I was going to be able to start myself. This is something I've always wanted to do and now I can."

The full-tuition scholarships were awarded to:

Vanessa Baker, Grampian, PA – Vanessa will pursue the professional website design program from Ashworth College.

Celeste Chappell-Bates, Lewis Center, OH – Celeste will pursue a bachelors degree in journalism and mass communication, from Ashford University.

Jamie Harrington, Richlands, NC – Jamie will pursue an associates degree in business, from Everest University.

"An amazing journey is ahead for each of these scholarship recipients, and it was such a great experience to share in their joy during the show," said Helen MacDermott, Content Director for Project Working Mom. "The goal of Project Working Mom is to give people another chance to go back to school and to get the education they have always wanted. So far, we've fulfilled that dream for nearly 200 people!"

This is the fourth iteration of the Project Working Mom scholarship program. The Project Working Mom programs have generated more than 500,000 applications from moms and dads hoping to go back to school online. The programs have already awarded approximately $6 million in full-tuition scholarships.

Vanessa Baker, another Project Working Mom scholarship recipient on The Tyra Show, has advice for other parents thinking of going back to school: "Be driven. Go for it! If there is something you want, try to achieve it. Don't give up. Unless it's clear it wasn't meant to be for this time, keep being proactive toward the dream. You never know how things will work out."

Applications for the next round of Project Working Mom scholarships are still being accepted. The remaining deadlines to apply are Tuesday, April 27 (5 PM EST) and September 30, 2010. Scholarships are available for programs from the associate's degree to Ph.D. level. The eight accredited online institutions currently providing Project Working Mom scholarships are: Ashford University, Everest University, Virginia College, Walden University, Capella University, Saint Leo University, Allied Schools and Ashworth College.

For more information about Project Working Mom visit www.projectworkingmom.com.

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. eLearners.com also offers an exclusive seven-point support system, which provides guidance and resources for current and prospective online students. For online colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.

About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics is higher education's leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. Through its Market Research and Advisory Services division, the company brings a decade of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence, and best practice insights to its clients. EducationDynamics is a portfolio company of Halyard Capital. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

SOURCE eLearners.com