Best College & Education in Florida — 15 resources

About College & Education for Women

Education resources for women include FAFSA-based federal aid (Pell Grants up to ~$7,000/year), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Title IX protections against sex discrimination on campus, and dedicated single-mother scholarships through the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards, and Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Foundation. Community colleges offer low-cost two-year degrees and trade certificates, often with CCAMPIS-grant subsidized on-campus childcare. AAUW funds career development grants and fellowships for women. GED and HiSET programs run through state adult education offices, usually free. This directory covers FAFSA offices, community colleges, adult education, and women's scholarships.

College & Education in Florida

Florida handles family law in circuit courts across its 20 judicial circuits. The Department of Revenue Child Support Program oversees enforcement statewide. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale are the largest metros. Bay Area Legal Services, Three Rivers Legal Services, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and statewide Planned Parenthood affiliates serve women.

15 Resources

1. Florida Bright Futures Scholarship — Free

Bright Futures provides merit scholarships covering 75-100% of tuition at Florida public colleges and universities for high-school graduates meeting GPA, standardized-test, and community-service thresholds. Mothers helping a graduating senior apply should work through the Florida Office of Student Financial Assistance.

(888) 827-2004 · Statewide program · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. FAFSA — Florida — Free

The Federal Application for Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov is the gateway to Pell grants, work-study, subsidized loans, and Florida state aid. The live help line handles complex tax-recapture questions. File as soon as the cycle opens for best Florida grant eligibility — state aid is first-come-first-served.

(800) 433-3243 · Online application · 24/7 online · Visit Website

3. Florida State College System

Florida's 28 state colleges deliver low-cost two-year associate degrees and four-year applied bachelor's programs, mostly under

,000/year for in-state tuition. The DOE's state college office explains articulation agreements that let credits transfer cleanly to state universities like UF, FSU, and UCF.

(850) 245-0407 · Statewide system · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

4. University of Central Florida

UCF in east Orlando is one of the largest universities in the country, enrolling 68,000-plus students with strong adult-learner pathways through UCF Online and the UCF Connect partnerships with state colleges. The Financial Aid Office specifically advises returning women on bridge funding.

(407) 823-2000 · 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL 32816 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

5. Florida International University

FIU's main campus on SW 8th Street in Miami is one of the country's largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions, with strong evening, weekend, and online programs designed around working adults. The admissions office advises mothers returning to school on credit-transfer evaluations from prior coursework.

(305) 348-2000 · 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

6. FAFSA — studentaid.gov — Free

studentaid.gov is the federal hub for the FAFSA, Direct Loans, work-study, and Pell. The Help Center addresses common Florida-specific questions about how state aid (Bright Futures, EASE, Access to Better Learning and Education grants) layers on top of federal awards in a student's financial aid package.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

7. Federal Pell Grant — Free

The Pell Grant is a need-based federal grant of up to $7,395/year that doesn't have to be repaid. Most Florida mothers earning under roughly $60,000 with one child qualify for at least partial Pell; the actual award depends on the Student Aid Index calculated from the FAFSA tax data.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

8. AAUW Educational Funding — Free

AAUW awards graduate fellowships and dissertation grants specifically for women, including the American Fellowship and Career Development Grant — the latter specifically aimed at women re-entering higher education after time away. Annual application cycle opens in fall with deadlines in late winter.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. P.E.O. International — Women's Education — Free

P.E.O. funds five programs supporting women's education including Scholar Awards for doctoral candidates and the Program for Continuing Education for women whose schooling was interrupted by life events. Florida has many active P.E.O. chapters that nominate local candidates from their communities.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards — Free

Live Your Dream is a cash grant up to

6,000 for women who are primary financial support for their families and pursuing undergraduate or vocational education. Florida Soroptimist clubs nominate local applicants; deadlines typically fall in November with awards announced the following spring.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Jeannette Rankin Foundation — Free

Rankin awards ,000-,000 scholarships specifically for low-income women 35 and older pursuing technical training or an undergraduate degree. Applications open annually in November; Florida mothers re-entering school in their late thirties or forties are exactly the population the foundation targets.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. Patsy Mink Education Foundation — Free

The Patsy Mink Foundation provides flexible education-support awards specifically for low-income mothers with minor children pursuing post-secondary education. Awards are modest but the flexibility — usable for childcare, transportation, books, or tuition — makes them practically valuable.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. Scholarships.com — Free

Scholarships.com is the largest free scholarship database with millions of awards indexed. Florida mothers can filter by demographic — single mothers, women in STEM, first-generation students — and by Florida-specific awards that don't show up on national-only searches.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. College Board — BigFuture — Free

BigFuture is the College Board's free college-planning hub with major exploration tools, college search, scholarship database, and financial-aid calculators. Useful for Florida mothers helping high-school children compare net cost (not sticker price) and fit across in-state and out-of-state schools.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

15. Khan Academy — Free SAT Prep — Free

Khan Academy partners with the College Board to provide free personalized SAT practice tied to a student's PSAT or SAT score report. Florida mothers preparing themselves for college re-entry or supporting a high-school student can use the adaptive practice tests and answer explanations at their own pace.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many college & education resources are in Florida?
Women's Corner tracks 15 college & education resources for women in Florida.
Are college & education resources in Florida free?
12 of the 15 listed college & education resources in Florida are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Florida have college & education resources?
Listings span cities including Orlando, Miami.
What are some examples of college & education resources in Florida?
Featured entries include Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, FAFSA — Florida, Florida State College System, University of Central Florida, Florida International University.
Do these listings include phone numbers?
5 of 15 Florida college & education listings include phone numbers.
How do I pay for college as a single mom?
Start with FAFSA at studentaid.gov — single moms typically qualify for the maximum Pell Grant (up to $7,395/year, not repaid). Add state grants, Federal Work-Study, and scholarships specifically for single mothers (Patsy Takemoto Mink Foundation, Soroptimist Live Your Dream, Jeannette Rankin Foundation). Many community colleges have Single Parent Programs with childcare, books, and emergency funds.
Can I go to college while on welfare?
Yes — TANF rules now count post-secondary education toward work requirements in most states, especially CTE/vocational programs. The CCAMPIS program funds free on-campus childcare at hundreds of colleges. SNAP students with kids under 12 qualify for SNAP E&T benefits. Tell your TANF caseworker you're enrolling — they often have hidden funds for books, transportation, and uniforms.
How do I get a GED?
GED classes are free at adult education centers, community colleges, libraries, and online through GED.com and Khan Academy. The exam costs 6–
44 depending on state, and many states waive fees for low-income test-takers. Call 211 or search 'adult education' + your state. Most centers offer free childcare during classes.
Are there scholarships specifically for women?
Yes — AAUW, P.E.O. International, Jeannette Rankin Foundation (women 35+), Society of Women Engineers, Live Your Dream Awards, and hundreds of state-specific awards target women, especially returning students and mothers. Search Fastweb and Scholarships.com filtered for 'women' and your major. Apply to many small scholarships — they're less competitive than big ones.