Ashworth College News & Events

Ashworth College Partners with Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! To Offer $2 million in Full-Ride Scholarships to Working Parents

Ashworth College Helps Moms and Dads Get a College Degree During Tough Economic Times

NORCROSS, Georgia – February 11, 2009 – Ashworth College, today announced that it has partnered with "Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" to award more than $2 million in full-ride online college scholarships to working moms and dads. "Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" is a national scholarship initiative to help remove the barriers of money, time and confidence, which often keep people from returning to school.

Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! is the third in a line of campaigns to help working parents return to school to better their lives and the lives of their families. The two previous Project Working Mom campaigns in 2008 received more than 120,000 applications, awarded more than $4 million in scholarships, and sent nearly 100 working moms back to school. This year, the campaign has added dads to the mix as a result of considerable interest from fathers in the scholarship offers during the first two campaigns.

"Partnering with Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! is an opportunity for Ashworth College to help make a difference. Through education, we can help deserving, hard-working parents improve their lives," said F. Milton Miller, Ed.D. and Ashworth Vice President, Education.

"A college degree can set an employee or business owner apart as a professional and demonstrate business knowledge to peers, potential customers and employers," Miller added. "Education can take skills - and income - to the next level."

Ashworth College is one of five accredited universities participating in Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! The other schools involved in the campaign are Ashford University, Capella University, Everest University, and Virginia College Online. Combined, the schools will be awarding more than $2 million in full-ride online college scholarships, bringing the total of Project Working Mom scholarships awarded to more than $6 million.

"Project Working Mom started as a single campaign to help working moms go back to school, but the response was so large that we decided to launch another campaign. This time however, in response to the voices of many dads, we have added a father-focused element," said Helen MacDermott, content director for Project Working Mom.

eLearners.com, an online education resource that connects learners with online education and created the Project Working Mom campaigns, also created a complementary, interactive, and in-depth web site to help learners tackle their questions and fears about returning to school. The site is designed to empower working parents and offers advice on going back to school, self-assessment quizzes on numerous subjects including how to determine what subjects to study, an online support community, numerous articles and a database with $15 billion in financial aid opportunities.

"This campaign is a much needed resource for many moms and dads who would love to pursue a new career path, but don't have the money to get the degree they need," said Carey Casey, CEO of the Kansas City-based National Center for Fathering and fathers.com. "Many dads I've talked with would love to go back to school, but they don't know where to begin and for many the biggest barrier is definitely cost. It's great to see action underway to help remove these barriers."

The full-ride online college scholarships through Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! are for online programs from the associate's to Ph.D. level. To apply for a scholarship, working moms and dads can submit a short application at www.projectworkingmom.com. They will also need to complete an essay with their life, education and/or career goals and explain how an online education will allow them to achieve those goals. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is April 30, 2009.

Editor's Note: To arrange an interview with a scholarship recipient, a member of Project Working Mom, or a member of Fathers.com, contact Jenny Foust at 303.433.7020, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . To speak with a member of Ashworth College contact Richard Orr at 770-729-8400, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About eLearners.com®
The eLearners.com website is one of several high visibility, high-quality prospecting tools offered by EducationDynamics, LLC. 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® provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit elearners.com.

About Ashworth College

Ashworth College, a leader in distance education, offers students worldwide more than 100 career-focused High School, Career School online diploma programs; undergraduate and graduate online certificate programs; and Associate, Bachelor's and Master's online 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 (SACS) and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). For more information visit AshworthCollege.edu.

Press Contact:
Richard Orr
Ashworth College
publicity@ashworthcollege.edu
(770) 729-8400