NEW START PROGRAM
PROVIDING GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WOMEN IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
The New Start Story: Grants & Scholarships
In 1988, Womansong, under the leadership of founding director Linda Metzner, created the New Start Program -- a program designed to provide financial assistance to women in need in WNC.
New Start Grants
The NSP grants typically provide needed support for a woman on her path toward greater self-sufficiency. These grants are intended to fill-in when other short-term funding options are not available.
Candidates for a New Start Program grant are screened for eligibility by a case manager or social worker of licensed social service agencies who then makes the referral to Womansong's New Start program. This one-time grant per individual is available for the amount of need up to $600. (In the New Start Program menu above, click on Grant Application Guidelines to apply.)
Examples of grants that have been funded include:
New Start Scholarships
In 2009, New Start Program was expanded to include offering an educational scholarship to A-B Tech. Since that time, we have extended our scholarship to include Haywood Community College and Blue Ridge Community College. Criteria for scholarships focus on encouraging women in WNC to obtain educational training leading to employment and greater self-sufficiency.
Currently, we are pleased to offer the following scholarships:
For information regarding eligibility for an educational scholarship, please contact the appropriate community college and inquire about the Womansong scholarships.
In 1988, Womansong, under the leadership of founding director Linda Metzner, created the New Start Program -- a program designed to provide financial assistance to women in need in WNC.
New Start Grants
The NSP grants typically provide needed support for a woman on her path toward greater self-sufficiency. These grants are intended to fill-in when other short-term funding options are not available.
Candidates for a New Start Program grant are screened for eligibility by a case manager or social worker of licensed social service agencies who then makes the referral to Womansong's New Start program. This one-time grant per individual is available for the amount of need up to $600. (In the New Start Program menu above, click on Grant Application Guidelines to apply.)
Examples of grants that have been funded include:
- Tickets for a women escaping domestic and sexual violence
- Transportation fees related to education and employment
New Start Scholarships
In 2009, New Start Program was expanded to include offering an educational scholarship to A-B Tech. Since that time, we have extended our scholarship to include Haywood Community College and Blue Ridge Community College. Criteria for scholarships focus on encouraging women in WNC to obtain educational training leading to employment and greater self-sufficiency.
Currently, we are pleased to offer the following scholarships:
- 2 - $2,000 scholarships to A-B Tech Community College
- 2 - $2,000 scholarships to Haywood Community College
- 2 - $2,000 scholarships to Blue Ridge Community College
- A fund for GED testing is available for women at these institutions
For information regarding eligibility for an educational scholarship, please contact the appropriate community college and inquire about the Womansong scholarships.
