It has gotten increasingly harder for students to work their way through college, especially for low-income students who face steep challenges when combining work and learning. Students from higher-income families tend to benefit as they work fewer hours in jobs directly related to their fields of study. Low-income working college students often work longer hours, and as a result, are less likely than their higher-income peers to get good grades and attain bachelor's degrees or any credential at all. Key findings reveal that: (1) Of the 14 million working learners, about 6 million (43%) are low-income students; (2) Low-income working learners are disproportionately Black (18%) and Latino (25%), women (58%), and first-generation college-goers (47%), while higher-income working learners tend to be White (73%); (3) Low-income working learners are more likely to enroll in certificate programs and attend either two-year public or for-profit colleges than higher-income working learners, whereas higher-income working students are more likely to enroll in bachelor's degree programs and attend selective four-year colleges and universities; and (4) Low-income working learners are less likely to earn a credential overall, even if they come from the upper end of the academic performance distribution. "Balancing Work and Learning: Implications for Low-Income Students" finds that while working and studying generally helps students from higher-income families, low-income students face steeper challenges when combining work and college. Family income is still a major determinant of college enrollment, selectivity, completion, and long-term economic success. [For the executive summary of this report, see ED590711.]