Education and Career AdvancementAdministrator2025-01-30T16:13:59-05:00

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.

FPA launch
IWPR Federal Policy Agenda to Advance Gender Equity Now Live

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is proud to launch its Federal Policy Solutions to Advance Gender Equity agenda—a transformative blueprint outlining our long-term policy vision through actionable recommendations to improve women’s lives and create lasting, systemic change.

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State Policy for Student Parent Success: A Landscape Scan of Policy Solutions Enacted at the State Level

While promoting student-parent success has mainly been left to institutions of higher education, several states have considered or adopted a range of policy initiatives to support student parents in postsecondary education. This paper provides state policy stakeholders, including governors, state agencies, and advocates, with [...]

By Nina Besser DoorleySalma Elakbawy and Afet Dundar PhD|August 25, 2023|

Dismantling Barriers to Degree Attainment for Black Single Mother Students

A college degree can be a critical tool to economic stability, security, and advancement, yet structural and systemic issues create challenges for some students. Black single mothers pursuing higher education are disproportionately impacted by factors including lack of child care, educational affordability, and housing. Because [...]

By Salma Elakbawy and Miranda Peterson|July 12, 2023|

Supreme Court Blocks Biden Student Debt Relief Program

Today, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Biden Administration’s student debt relief program is unlawful and beyond the scope of executive authority. The program would have eliminated up to $10,000 of student debt for borrowers earning up to $125,000 per year ($250,000 for married [...]

By Shannon Emmett|June 30, 2023|

Black Women Have Made Major Gains in Higher Education, But Black Single Mothers Still Struggle To Attain Degrees

This fact sheet aims to provide college leaders, student parent advocates, and policymakers with data to better understand the landscape for Black single mother students on a national level and prompt considerations for racial and gender equity and investments in institutional resources and supportive [...]

By Jennifer Turner PhD and Chaunté White PhD|June 14, 2023|