New Caring.com Grants For Students Juggling School While Caring For Aging Or Ailing Loved Ones

By Megan Weyrauch on April 2, 2015

Have you ever told someone that you are a “poor” college student? More often than not, college students are labeled as financially “poor” due to the huge amounts of debt they collect over the years for tuition, books, extra curricular activities, etc.

Many students choose to get jobs to pay their way through school. But, what about those students who are juggling paying for college with the unpaid responsibilities of taking care of an elderly relative?

A recent press release stated that according to a 2005 report from the American Journal of Public Health and per 2010 U.S. census data, there are an estimated 5-8 million young adult family caregivers in America (ages 18-24), the majority of whom are caring for an elder female relative such as a grandparent.

Caring.com found that providing unpaid care for a relative proves costly, taking a significant financial, emotional and physical toll on health, according to multiple research studies with family caregivers over several years.

Caring.com, a leading senior care resource for family caregivers, announced in the press release their new financial aid scholarship for students attending an accredited U.S. university or college while also caring for an aging or ailing loved one.

“Juggling the responsibilities of caregiving while also pursuing a degree in higher education is really difficult,” said Caring.com co-founder and CEO Andy Cohen. “The time spent on caregiving has the potential to negatively impact academic success, whether by prolonging years of study or lowering their grades.”

This new student-caregiver scholarship will award each of three university students in the U.S. a $1,500 #CaringScholar grant for tuition and/or books.

“Helping to ease the burden of family caregivers has been Caring.com’s social mission from day one, and this new scholarship for student caregivers is one more way we’re delivering on that promise,” Cohen said.

The winners will be chosen based on their compelling 1,500-word essays or 2-minute video story submissions. According to the press release, Caring.com will share some of the caregiving stories it receives, and is building a new national conversation around the hashtag #CaringScholar.

“We’re excited to receive these students’ grant applications, select the best three to receive the awards, and raise more awareness about family caregivers at America’s colleges and universities,” Cohen said.

Interested in this grant? Apply here by May 31, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Grant recipients will be selected and announced by June 30.

Find out more information about the Caring.com Student-Caregiver Scholarship on Caring.com.

Caring.com is a leading senior care resource for family caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses and other elder loved ones. It provides helpful caregiving content, online support groups and a comprehensive Senior Care Directory for the U.S., with more than 75,000 consumer ratings and reviews and a toll-free senior living referral line at (800) 325-8591.

Connect with Caring.com on FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestLinkedIn, and/or YouTube.

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