Single Parent Scholarship helps UA Little Rock Alumna Pursue her Dreams

University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Asia Amos knows what it means to overcome obstacles. As a single parent and transfer student, she changed her major, paid for school out of pocket, and balanced college with work and motherhood — all while determined to prove to herself and her son that anything is possible.

“I feel like that little girl that was 19 years old and pregnant and lost and confused would be proud of the woman I am today,” Amos said.

Today, Amos is building a career in the financial technology sector, always striving to grow and improve, and she encourages other single parents to pursue higher education, drawing from her own journey. Recently, she shared her experience completing her degree and receiving support from the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) on Arkansas Style.

Amos began her higher education journey at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where she studied elementary education. However, when she became pregnant, she made the difficult decision to pause her studies and enter the workforce.

Driven by her desire to earn a degree and encouraged by her mother, Amos later returned to school, selecting UA Little Rock. Starting over as a single mother wasn’t easy, but she found a welcoming campus and valuable resources to support her. She also rediscovered old interests and decided to pursue political science, instead.

Earning her degree became even more complex as she juggled classes, childcare, full-time work, and the responsibilities of motherhood, so Amos had to quickly learn how to manage it all.

“Just being transparent, it was hard,” Amos said. “I had times where I cried at night. I had times where my son and I both were crying at night.”

By her final semester, the financial strain of being a single parent in school intensified. Amos paid for tuition out of pocket while also covering rent, a car payment, gas, insurance, food, and all the expenses of raising her son.

That’s when her mother suggested she apply for the ASPSF. Although Amos wasn’t convinced she would receive it, she did — and it came right on time.

“The single parent scholarship came right when needed,” Amos said. “I was able to pay off my past-due balance on that plan, so that way I was able to change my class right in time for me to graduate and complete my education in December.”

For more than three decades, ASPSF has helped low-income single parents in Central Arkansas build more secure futures for themselves and their families through education. In addition to scholarships, the organization provides mentorship, career-focused workshops, emotional support and other resources to help parents succeed in school, work and life. ASPSF has also broadened its reach beyond traditional college pathways to provide scholarships for those pursuing skilled trades. Applications for fall 2026 scholarships are open through Sept. 1 for eligible single parents.

“It did give me an increase of hope, an increase of community and guidance and things like that,” Amos said. “They’re more than just a scholarship where they just give you money. They give you resources.”

For Amos, that support extended well beyond financial assistance. The resources and guidance she received through ASPSF, together with the encouragement and services offered by UA Little Rock, helped her navigate the unique challenges of single parenthood in college and gave her a sense of community as she worked toward graduation. That commitment to student success is one reason UA Little Rock was named an Outstanding Education Partner by ASPSF in 2025, recognizing the university’s dedication to understanding and supporting the unique needs of single-parent students.

Earning her degree was not the end of Amos’ journey — it was a stepping stone toward a bigger future. She now hopes to attend the William H. Bowen School of Law and pursue a career as a corporate attorney, a goal she has worked toward for years.

“Partnerships like ours are about more than helping a student get across the finish line. They’re about making it possible for students to keep building toward what comes next,” said Jenn Morehead, CEO of ASPSF. “Asia earned her degree, she’s building a career, and she has her sights set on law school. We’re proud to play a small part in helping her get there, and grateful to UA Little Rock for being the kind of partner that understands how important that support can be.”

Her degree provided the foundation for her next chapter, but more importantly, it gave her a powerful example to share with her son. For Amos, earning her degree was never just about personal achievement; she wanted her son to see what’s possible when he sets a goal and persists, even when the path gets tough.

“It gives me that confidence to now instill in him that you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said.

She hopes her message extends beyond her own family. Having experienced firsthand the challenges of balancing parenthood, work, and higher education, Amos wants other single parents to know that pursuing a degree is possible, even when the journey is difficult.

“The main thing I want single parents to know is just to keep going,” Amos said. “Life is hard, but at the end of the day, you have to keep pushing forward and keep striving for what you want.”