Education and Career Advancement
Education is a cornerstone of economic security, and we are committed to breaking down barriers to advancement. We research student parents, career training opportunities through apprenticeships and workforce development, and other policies that reduce student debt and make college more accessible for women, particularly women of color.

Majorities See Education as a Worthwhile Investment and Favor Student Debt Forgiveness in New IWPR Poll
This poll was conducted between October 10–12, 2023, among a sample of 2,207 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race [...]
A Call to Cancel Student Debt
While higher education is generally considered to be a driver of upward economic mobility, student debt is one of the biggest hurdles that prevents students from acquiring wealth. People of color experience the burden of student debt more acutely due to historic intergenerational wealth gaps, [...]
This September, Let’s Celebrate Student Parents!
September is National Student Parent Month, a month to celebrate and uplift student parents in higher education and recognize the need to further empower this unique group of students. According to IWPR reports, student parents make up a substantial percentage of postsecondary students but often [...]
Policy-at-a-Glance: Securing Student Parent Success
Earning a college degree has long been critical to unlocking many high-paying jobs – and, as a result, to economic mobility and security. Increasingly, however, the traditional “norm” of a college student – one who enrolls straight out of high school, receives some support [...]