LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska would see a big return on investments that help single mothers graduate from college, according to a new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, the institute’s study director, says the economic well-being of Nebraska’s more than 10,000 college students who are single mothers, and their children, depends on getting a college degree.
Moms who graduate with an associate’s degree are 50% less likely to live in poverty than a high school graduate.
“There are clear economic benefits to making sure that these women have the opportunity to succeed, and a little bit of an investment in their success will result in long-term benefits for all of us,” Reichlin Cruse states.
The report projects that if Nebraska invests just $7 million to support 10% of single moms in college, the state would see a total economic return of $51 million through tax revenues and other savings. Graduation rates also would increase by 47%.
Single mothers with a bachelor’s degree in Nebraska are projected to contribute $195,000 more to the state’s tax coffers than single moms with just a high school diploma.
