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A new majority of college students are more independent than students in previous years, according to a report released today.

The Institute For Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) has released a new briefing paper that indicates that college students are now more likely than not to be financially independent from their parents. A majority of this emerging demographic of students tends to be women and students of color.

Report findings shed light on shifting demographics at higher education institutions across the country, highlighting a subtle move from the “conventional” dependent student – “the 18 to 23-year-old student entering college directly from high school with the financial support of their parents,” according to the report.

Key findings in the report reveal that 55 percent of students of color are independent compared to 49 percent of their White peers. Regarding gender, 55 percent of women in college are independent as opposed to 46 percent of men.

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