New Study, Supported By The Jewish Foundation for Education of Women, Finds College Brings Significant Benefits to Single Mothers and Society
Single mothers who complete BAs earn $610,300 more over their lifetimes and are 69 percent less likely to live in poverty than single mothers with only high school, with AAs also bringing big benefits, according to new analysis by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR).
The analysis finds that investments in services such as child care and case management boost graduation, and if expanded, would lead to increased lifetime earnings and lower poverty among single mother graduates, more than paying for themselves through higher tax contributions and savings on public benefits if single mothers graduate. Since not all single mothers graduate, however, institutions must focus on increasing their completion to ensure that investments in their success pay off.
IWPR estimates that at current rates of completion, single mother graduates enrolled in 2011-12 will contribute $7.8 billion more in taxes over their lifetimes than had they only completed high school.
Single mothers' own investments in college pay off when they graduate, yielding $8.50-$16.50 in lifetime earnings for every dollar they invest...