“New research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows that the challenges Robinson faces aren’t unique.
A briefing paper released last week shows that the number of single mothers enrolled in college more than doubled between 1999 and 2012, and the share of single mothers of all students grew over that time, too.
Women of color – especially black women – were more likely to be single mothers than white female undergraduate students, the paper showed.
Single mothers were less likely to complete college once they enrolled, the research found, and those who graduate do so with higher levels of debt.
On the Ellen Show, Robinson said the biggest challenge of being a single mother in college was scheduling. She said she went into labor as she tried to complete a paper for a photography class.
These time demands add up, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found. Most single student mothers said they spent at least 20 hours per week working.”
