| Just a decade ago, a Bachelors degree was your | | | | have three main educational aid programs, one of |
| ticket to a good career and opportunities for | | | | which is a scholarship program for women pursuing |
| promotion. Today, it is barely enough for an entry level | | | | postgraduate education, and another is an alternative |
| job in the office. Some companies, especially specialist | | | | student loan program (4% interest for $10,000). |
| IT firms, will only hire Masters and PhD degree holders. | | | | The second type of organization offering Masters |
| In certain fields of work, the job market is being | | | | MBA grants for women are women-only professional |
| flooded by foreign professionals with postgraduate | | | | associations and women's chapters of professional |
| degrees. One example is IT, where there are many | | | | associations. Organizations like these perceive an |
| Indian professionals with Masters degrees subsidised | | | | imbalance in the number of men and women in their |
| by their government. While there are no federal | | | | field of work, and try to get more women involved. An |
| government grants to subsidize postgraduate college | | | | example of this are the Education Foundation For |
| education for US citizens, women, at least, have some | | | | Women In Accounting and the Computing Research |
| scholarships available to them courtesy of several | | | | Association's Committee on the Status of Women in |
| non-profit organizations. | | | | Computing Research. |
| These Masters and MBA grants for women tend to | | | | Of course, there are also other parties not so easily |
| have rather strict criteria. Unlike two or three decades | | | | classified, like the Selected Professions Fellowships. |
| ago, in the 80s and 90s, there is less money being | | | | This organization offers scholarships to women |
| awarded now. Today, the gender gap in both the | | | | studying postgraduate courses in fields dominated by |
| workforce and higher education has greatly narrowed, | | | | men. As at 2010, they consider these to be |
| and is no longer seen to be socially destabilizing. This is | | | | Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science and |
| why there are fewer charities for women in the US, | | | | Architecture. For minority women, they also offer |
| and fewer of those remaining are still offering | | | | scholarships for postgraduate degrees in Law, |
| postgraduate scholarships. | | | | Medicine and Business Administration. |
| However, it is actually easier for a woman to get | | | | Something that many prospective postgraduate |
| postgraduate college education nowadays. In the past, | | | | students overlook are government-subsidized student |
| if you did not want to study your Masters or MBA | | | | college loans like the Perkins and Stafford loans. Such |
| degree full-time, your only alternative was on-campus | | | | loans are often undertaken for undergraduate studies, |
| evening classes. This, of course, is a serious problem | | | | but tend to be forgotten for postgraduate studies. Just |
| for mothers who have to take care of their children. | | | | like for a Bachelors degree, a Perkins loan for a |
| But the great increase in online university courses has | | | | Masters degree is offered by the college and a |
| changed all that. The great flexibility offered means | | | | Stafford loan is offered by a private lender (e.g. a |
| that any woman with children can still find time to fit in | | | | bank). Because these loans are subsidized and/or |
| her studies. The greater public acceptance of online | | | | guaranteed by the federal government, the interest |
| college degrees also means that more organizations | | | | rate is lower than a commercial student loan and the |
| offering these MBA grants for women are also | | | | repayment terms are also more favorable. |
| awarding their scholarships to women taking these | | | | While the gender gap in the workplace has narrowed, |
| online degrees. | | | | women still need to work harder and have better |
| Generally speaking, two different types of | | | | qualifications than men to get ahead in their careers. |
| organizations award postgraduate scholarships for | | | | With the postgraduate degree and MBA grants for |
| women. The first are women's charities. One example | | | | women available today, it makes sense to get at least |
| is the Philanthropic Educational Organization. They | | | | a Masters degree. |