ERIC Number: EJ1281960
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2637-9112
EISSN: N/A
The Winding Path to Degree: Obstacles to Higher Education for Low-Income Single Mothers
Freeman, Amanda
Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, v13 n3 p268-287 2020
Single mothers have the lowest rates of degree completion of any demographic group when they pursue higher education as a path out of poverty. This article explores the obstacles student mothers face when they pursue higher education. The lived experiences of participants add context to data about low rates of degree completion. Findings are based on a 3-year qualitative study, including 66 in-depth interviews with 37 unique participants of an anti-poverty program in Boston, Massachusetts. The study utilized a feminist action research framework, focusing on the marginalized voices of the students, combined with a constructivist grounded theory approach to collecting and analyzing the data. Obstacles to the mothers' pursuit of higher education emerged in the following categories: (a) inflexible institutions, (b) dead ends, and (c) lack of career guidance. Suggestions for higher education institutions, government policies, and nonprofit organizations to better support single mother students are discussed.
Descriptors: Barriers, Higher Education, Graduation Rate, Educational Attainment, Low Income, Mothers, One Parent Family, College Students, Poverty Programs, Career Guidance, Access to Information, Financial Problems, Child Care, College Credits, Welfare Services, Family Programs, Federal Programs, Time to Degree
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts (Boston)
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A