Intelligence and hard work are vital components to professional and personal success. There is a regrettable lack of educational resources within reach for many people. It provides a strong foundation for future generations when their moms can expand their own knowledge. The federal scholarships for moms are a new and important way of encouraging women to earn a degree. Started by President Obama in 2009, the grants for mothers are aimed at getting working, stay at home and single mothers to get enrolled in colleges and universities. The money comes from the federal Pell Grant program, and the $5,000 award can be used at schools of all types. The great thing about the award is that it can be spent for school expenses as well as indirect school expenses. With the Grants for Moms program many obstacles to higher education are thankfully taken away. The list of acceptable fields of study is one area of great variety. Practically any majors and careers are suitable. There are many careers in medicine, law and education that begin with proper education in college study. If you are willing to take some chances, you may find success in places you didn't expect. Education is a path that can lead to unexpected places, so it's important to be organized and open-minded. One way to enhance your preparedness is to do online career research. Here is one well-regarded place for broad research: the Occupational Outlook Handbook, or OOH. The OOH is a Department of Labor publication that compiles current information about employment practices. The 10-year job projections can help analyze how specific jobs and an industry as a whole will perform in the upcoming years. CareerOneStop is another resource by the Department of Labor, and it can provide information about necessary training, average salary and projected growth for different jobs. There are many sites out there, but it's entirely possible to find good resources about career development. Keeping a close eye on the similarities among the data can help point out clues in employment. Access to education shouldn't be stifled because of hard times. For those who are able, now is a perfect time to gain knowledge that will be beneficial to job development. Women are often in the toughest positions financially, so grants for mothers are a smart way to get talented women into the fields they desire.