Brief Supporting Parents Who Work and Go to School: A Portrait of Low-Income Students Who Are Employed
Shayne Spaulding, Teresa Derrick-Mills, Thomas Callan
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Over time, the American workforce has become more educated and the college-going population has diversified. Today’s students tend to be older and often have young children. About 1 million low-income parents who attend school or training also work. Further, many combine full-time work with full-time school attendance. This brief summarizes this population’s characteristics, how they address these competing demands, and the supports they receive while doing so. The brief suggests how existing federal policy initiatives such as the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Child Care Development Fund can better support working parents in their educational pursuits.

Research Areas Education Families Workforce Children and youth
Tags Higher education Workforce development Families with low incomes Work supports Work-family balance Beyond high school: education and training Kids in context Student parents