Understanding Single Mothers in College

Abstract

Increasing educational attainment among single mothers is critical to strengthening family well-being and economic security in the United States. Single mothers typically have less education, lower incomes, and higher poverty rates than other adults. Given that postsecondary education is associated with higher earnings, better health, and improved educational outcomes among children, increasing single mothers’ graduation rates can have far-reaching benefits for families and communities. This chapter discusses the financial and time-related obstacles single mothers face in completing college, provides new evidence on the importance of campus child care to their ability to remain enrolled, and describes how postsecondary credentials affect their employment and earnings. It also features findings from a recent Institute for Women’s Policy study quantifying the costs and benefits of single mothers’ achievement of associate and bachelor’s degrees, demonstrating that single mothers, their families, and society stand to benefit from greater investments in single mothers’ postsecondary success. It concludes with a discussion of strategies that institutional leaders, student support staff, community stakeholders, advocates, and state and federal policymakers can use to promote single mothers’ college attainment.