Ashworth College News & Events

Holland Mother Receives "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" Full-Ride Scholarship for an Online Degree Program at Ashworth College; More than 315,000 Applicants Applied

NORCROSS, Georgia – July 8, 2009 – Ashworth College today announced that Debora Jones, a mother from Holland, OH is the recipient of a national "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" full-ride scholarship. Jones will pursue a Professional Medical Billing and Claims Program at Ashworth College, an accredited online institution. Ashworth College is one of the five participating "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" schools to help send parents back to college – tuition free – in these tough economic times.

This latest Project Working Mom campaign, the third in a series, received more than double the number of applications submitted in the first two rounds held in 2008 combined. This year generated more than 315,000 applications, including some of the most gut-wrenching, heart-warming and inspiring essays as part of the process.

Holland mother, Jones, is one of about 60 parents to receive the "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" scholarship; Ashworth College is awarding 20 of those scholarships.

Jones, a mother of two boys, indicated that while she was successful in high school (becoming class salutatorian), her parents didn't understand the value of a college education. "The highest level of education completed by either of them was the sixth grade," explained Jones. "I wasn't encouraged to pursue a college degree. To parents who only reached sixth grade, earning a high school diploma was the ultimate success. "

"When I first became pregnant, my husband and I decided I should be a stay-at-home mom. Our priority was to raise our sons, instill the importance of higher education, and groom them to become successful adults. Both of our sons excelled in high school, and have since earned undergraduate and graduate college degrees."

Jones often thought about going back to school herself, but never felt the time was right -- that family came first. "I eventually went back to work at a local bank. However, due to the present state of the economy, my job was centralized, and I now find myself unemployed and my banking experience is not very marketable at this time. My goal is to make myself more marketable by obtaining additional education."

"Losing my income has been life-changing for me and my husband. After funding our two children's education, we are not financially able to fund my education. This scholarship will allow me to continue a journey that has been delayed in my life for almost three decades."

"Partnering with Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! has been a fantastic opportunity for Ashworth College to help make a difference. Through education, we've been able to 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, demonstrating business knowledge to peers, potential customers and employers," Miller added. "Education can take skills - and income - to the next level."

Each of the "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" scholarship recipients will receive a scholarship to complete an online degree program tuition free. The overwhelming response to this scholarship opportunity and the stories of sacrifice and determination from the applicants have been a stark reminder of the struggles parents face in balancing life, work and school and how online education can help people achieve their goals.

"Going back to school isn't easy, but without the right degree you may get passed over for a job or promotion," said Helen MacDermott, the content director for "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!", who is also a mom going to school online. "This campaign was designed to remove the barriers so people can go to school at their own time and pace and don't have to worry about the costs. We've helped make dreams come true and it's been an honor to be a part of these campaigns."

eLearners.com, an online education resource that connects prospective students with online learning providers, first created "Project Working Mom" in January 2008. The initial campaign received more than 50,000 applications and awarded about 40 scholarships. That campaign was quickly followed by "Project Working Mom 2", which received more than 72,000 applicants and awarded more than 50 scholarships. All campaigns combined distributed an estimated market value of more than $6 million in full-ride scholarships.

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 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 online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.

About Ashworth College

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth College, a leading online school, has built a tradition of excellence spanning 25 years, offering students worldwide more than 115 online college degrees, online certificate programs and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. For more information, visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu.

Ashworth is a Sterling Partners portfolio company. Sterling, a private equity firm with a 25-year history of generating superior returns invests in industries with positive, long-term trends and provides ongoing support with a diverse and balanced team of industry veterans, operators, investors, strategy experts, and human capital professionals.

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