Mountain Home mom wins national Working Parent Scholarship

     Allison Cunningham of Mountain Home was recently selected as the winner of Job-Applications.com’s national Working Parent Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship recognizes the efforts of one student in the United States who balances the difficult tasks of parenthood, working and seeking a higher education.
     Cunningham, who is originally from Norfork, has a 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son, and is a junior at DeVry University. She is majoring in Technical Management with specialization in Health Information Management.
“As a parent and student, the cost of education and raising a family are exponential,” Cunningham said. “Taking some of the financial stress off of a fully packed plate is incredible. This will allow me to allocate other resources to care for my family.”
In her winning essay, she writes, “The life of a student is not easy. The life of a parent is even harder. When you apply the right scheduling, persistence, and patience to be set up for success, it will amaze you at how wildly capable you are, and teach your family to never stop reaching for the stars.”
     Job-Applications.com, one of the leading job application resources available in the United States, created the Working Parent Scholarship in 2013 to help families obtain a better education and build a career. Applicants submit an essay on how to successfully balance parenthood, working and excelling in school. To date, more than $40,000 has been awarded by the Ohio-based company to scholarship recipients.

The Cost of College & Arkansas Student Debt Load

     The cost of paying for a higher education continues to be a strain on family budgets. Average student loan debt upon graduation in 2019 nationally was $28,950 according to a recent report from The Institute for College Access & Success. In Arkansas, according to the study, the student debt figure for students attending a four-year college was $26,679.

     “The financial strain on working parents returning to school in Arkansas and throughout the United States cannot be overstated. Our national Working Parent Scholarship is our way to help reduce some of that pressure,” said Job-Applications.com President Doug Crawford. “We are pleased to award this scholarship to Amanda. We are confident she will continue to do great work.”

     Job-Applications.com has awarded $1,000 scholarships to people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Through its sister site, ca.job-applications.com (formerly job-applications.ca), scholarships have also been awarded to working parents throughout Canada.

To read the winning essays for Job-Applications.com, click here:

https://www.job-applications.com/scholarship-winners/