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.
Underwater: Student Mothers and Fathers Struggle to Support Their Families and Pay Off College Loans
IWPR conducted original research on an often-overlooked group of students—parents with children—as they struggle to make ends meet while pursuing academic degrees and certificates. Student parents often face enormous financial barriers to academic success. They report high financial insecurity including issues with food, housing [...]
All In Together: The Role of The Family Resource Center In Achieving Student Parent Success at Los Angeles Valley College
This fact sheet utilizes survey data and focus group data collected by the Los Angeles Valley College’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the Family Resource Center survey data. This data was collected in the fall of 2021. Over 200 student parents are represented in [...]
Not Built with Them in Mind: It’s Time to Center Black Single Mothers in Higher Ed
“College campuses were not designed with student parents in mind.” This is now a common refrain echoed among student parent success advocates. It must be acknowledged, too, that the U.S. system of higher education was not designed for women, Black people, anyone parenting while in college, or those who experience life at the intersections of all three of these identities.
Supporting Student Parent Recovery through State Policy
Higher education is essential to accessing high-demand jobs with family-supporting wages and improving family financial well-being. This was true before the COVID-19 pandemic and is especially true now as the nation continues the process of recovering from one of the worst public health, economic, and social crises in modern U.S. history. Early evidence suggests that the pandemic exacerbated barriers faced by student parents, affecting their college plans.
