Principal Foundation has awarded a $40,000 grant to support ANSWER Scholarship, a Charlotte non-profit that provides college scholarships, mentoring, and professional development training to mothers who want to earn a college degree.
ANSWER promotes economic and social mobility, one mom at a time. Among ANSWER’s 2022 graduates, 100% reported salary increases after earning their degree. Moreover, some graduates have gone on to earn master’s degrees or work in their fields of choice.
“We understand the critical role education plays in long-term financial security,” says Jo Christine Miles, director, Principal Foundation and Community Relations, Principal®. “By providing mothers with the resources and education they need to pursue their dreams, ANSWER is helping families pursue financially secure futures and helping mothers inspire their children to persist with their educations.”
ANSWER has awarded scholarships to 20 moms for the 2023-24 academic year. They are studying at UNC Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, Queens University, and other local universities. The non-profit has awarded more than $718,577 in scholarships to 125 moms since its founding in 2006.
“We’re deeply grateful for this vote of confidence from Principal Foundation in our work,” says ANSWER founder and executive director Susan Andersen. “ANSWER is more than a scholarship. We’ve learned that in addition to formal education, mentoring and professional development training is essential for moms to gain confidence in their abilities. The grant from Principal Foundation will help us reach even more moms utilizing our comprehensive approach.”
The graduation rate of ANSWER Scholars is consistently above 80%, nearly double the national graduation rate for non-traditional students. Scholars may be single or married and pursuing any four-year degree or select two-year degrees. They must reside in Mecklenburg and 10 surrounding counties in the Carolinas.
ANSWER believes when you educate a mom, you educate her children. Children of ANSWER scholars are very often inspired to follow their moms’ example and work harder in school.
To learn more, you can visit www.answerscholarship.org.