Is Money Enough?: The Effect of Migrant Remittances on Parental Aspirations and Youth Educational Attainment in Rural Mexico

Abstract

This research compares remittance-receiving families in rural Mexico to non-remittance receiving households in terms of how the presence of this financial source relates to variation in parent educational aspirations for their children and youth enrollment and completion at the non-compulsory upper secondary schooling level. Using multivariate analysis of a comprehensive survey collected in a significant migrant-sending state, no evidence is found of a remittance effect on the selected outcomes. Rather, other socio-demographic background factors — namely, maternal education levels and to a lesser extent household wealth — are the factors most associated with variation in these educational outcomes. Implications for migration and education public policy and suggestions for future research are discussed.