Are you a single parent who wants to go back to school? The assistance available may surprise you.

More than ever, specialized training or a college degree is needed to get a good job that will comfortably support a family. You may think it's impossible to afford your childcare and living expenses much less the cost of an education. But in just a few hours online, you can learn about government programs and apply for financial assistance that could enable you to go back to school.

Your first stop should be studentaid.ed.gov, where you can use the FAFSA4caster to estimate how much federal aid you might receive. Other handy tools are under the Financial Aid and Scholarship Wizard link near the center of the page, and information on Federal loans and grants is provided under Federal Student Aid Programs in the left margin. Included are five types of federal grants and subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans. The grants do not have to be repaid. The loans are offered by the U.S. Department of Education at substantially lower interest rates than private loans.

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