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.

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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]