Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, M.A.

About Lindsey Reichlin Cruse

Lindsey Reichlin is a Study Director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Lindsey manages IWPR’s grant-funded projects under the Student Parent Success Initiative (SPSI), which promotes access to and success in college for women who are parents of dependent children. She also contributes to IWPR’s research on global women’s issues, including conducting case studies for a study funded by the International Finance Corporation on private sector provision of child care supports. Lindsey has presented IWPR research at numerous events and conferences, including serving as a panelist on private sector strategies to promote work-family balance at UNDP’s Third Global Forum on Business for Gender Equality in Panama City. An expert on access to postsecondary education, Lindsey has been quoted in several outlets including The Washington Post, the National Journal, and Market Watch. Prior to joining IWPR, Lindsey held positions at the Aspen Institute’s Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health and at Global Policy Solutions in Washington, D.C. Lindsey has a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she studied human rights, and a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Investing in Single Mothers’ Higher Education: Costs and Benefits to Individuals, Families, and Society

Postsecondary education is a reliable pathway to economic security and is increasingly important to securing family-sustaining employment. For single mother families, who make up a growing share of U.S. families, and who are especially likely to live in poverty, college attainment is a game changer for improving family well-being and meeting the demands of a changing economy.

Time Demands of Single Mother College Students and the Role of Child Care in their Postsecondary Success

Single mothers enrolled in postsecondary education face substantial time demands that make persistence and graduation difficult. Just 28 percent of single mothers graduate with a degree or certificate within 6 years of enrollment and another 55 percent leave school before earning a college credential.

By Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Barbara Gault and Jooyeoun Suh, Ph.D.|2020-10-28T19:16:24-05:00May 10, 2018|IWPR|Comments Off on Time Demands of Single Mother College Students and the Role of Child Care in their Postsecondary Success

Understanding the New College Majority: The Demographic and Financial Characteristics of Independent Students and their Postsecondary Outcomes

Independent college students’ life circumstances, and in turn their college experiences, are often dramatically different than those of dependent students. Viewing higher education policies and programs through the lens of independent students, with their often-complex schedules and financial and family responsibilities, is important to increasing college access and success, since so many students are financially independent.

By Lindsey Reichlin Cruse and Barbara Gault|2020-10-17T18:26:38-05:00February 20, 2018|IWPR|Comments Off on Understanding the New College Majority: The Demographic and Financial Characteristics of Independent Students and their Postsecondary Outcomes

Child Care Assistance for College Students with Children: An Opportunity for Change in Washington State

Publicly funded child care assistance helps many low-income parents afford child care while earning a postsecondary credential that can lead to long-lasting economic security.

By Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Barbara Gault and Eleanor Eckerson|2020-10-29T13:04:32-05:00October 26, 2017|IWPR|Comments Off on Child Care Assistance for College Students with Children: An Opportunity for Change in Washington State

Single Mothers in College: Growing Enrollment, Financial Challenges, and the Benefits of Attainment

DOWNLOAD REPORT Single student mothers are growing in [...]

Single Mothers Overrepresented at For-Profit Colleges

Analysis of the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study data by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) finds that three in ten single mothers in college attend private, for-profit schools, a larger share than students of any other family type (

By Julie Anderson, Lindsey Reichlin Cruse and Barbara Gault|2021-11-03T13:34:06-05:00September 6, 2017|IWPR|Comments Off on Single Mothers Overrepresented at For-Profit Colleges

The Family-Friendly Campus Imperative: Supporting Success Among Community College Students with Children

This paper presents a portrait of the community college student parent population, their unique needs, and discusses the role that child care plays in their educational success.

By Barbara Gault, Elizabeth Noll and Lindsey Reichlin Cruse|2020-10-30T16:21:19-05:00March 20, 2017|IWPR|Comments Off on The Family-Friendly Campus Imperative: Supporting Success Among Community College Students with Children