Why single parents may be the most crucial undergraduate demographic
After dropping out of Florida Atlantic University in 2002, Vivian Vo's decision to return to the classroom five years later was fueled by the very thing that made her leave in the first place -- her daughter. Completing her bachelor's degree in fashion design and marketing from American Intercontinental University in October 2007, Vo landed a position as a design assistant for uniform supplier Cintas before she had turned the tassel."The major reason I left school was because of my pregnancy. ... I chose to go back in order to provide a better future for my daughter and to become a good teacher for her," said the 26-year-old mother. Vo isn't the only single mom dedicated to conquering employment, education and child rearing in a single bound. Despite skyrocketing tuition costs and federal financial aid cuts, the Department of Education reports that there are twice as many single parents enrolled in higher education as there were just 10 years ago.
The spike in single-parent grads can be, in part, chalked up to necessity. As the pay gap between workers with college degrees and those without steadily widens, an increasing number of single parents simply have to gain higher-education credentials in order to stay afloat. Unfortunately, many still sink, and many of them are women. A 2006 census poll shows that more than half of all U.S. families currently living below the poverty line are headed by single moms. More parents, including Vo, are finding that cracking the books is one of the surest ways to gain financial security. A second development, said Jill Sullivan, director of the Keys to Degrees program at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., is that universities and colleges are slowly beginning to recognize single moms as an underserved population. "[Single-parent students are] trying to balance work and going to school and paying for day care and it's hard," Sullivan said. "College is usually the first thing that these parents would give up and we're trying to help."
Keys to Degrees is one of a handful of residential college programs nationwide aimed at keeping single parents in the classroom. In addition to receiving specialized child-friendly on-campus housing, free day care and a scholarship worth up to half of the yearly tuition, Endicott's nine Keys to Degrees parent-students also receive access to bimonthly parent support meetings and playgroups for the children. Single-parent programs like Endicott's and the one at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., aim to make an impact that extends far beyond both the grads and their immediate families. A recent survey conducted by American Intercontinental University shows that 80 percent of single moms between the ages of 18 and 29 would like to go back to the books. However, family and financial obstacles prevent all but 13 percent from getting there
Sullivan stresses the idea that by helping these students finish school, the schools are helping them gain financial independence that might not come easy without the education. She scoffs at the stereotype of the welfare-dependent single parent. "If the state would help them get through the education system, they're off the system after four years because they'll have the degree," she said. For those that do make it past the admissions gate, the outlook is promising according to Sue Lawrence, executive director of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, a nonprofit agency based in Athens, Ga., that provides scholarships to women aged 35 and above.
"Once they actually get into the classroom, we know that women with dependents are very serious about their studies," said Lawrence. "These women aren't going to school so that they can figure out what they want to be in life. They go because they very passionately want to provide for their families and give back to their communities." Giving back may be precisely what makes the single mother such a critical demographic. Besides breaking the cycle of poverty, studies show that single moms who return to school frequently gravitate toward careers in areas such as education, health care and social work -- fields that are anticipated to face a critical worker shortage within the next 10 years. "I'd say that 75 to 80 percent of the women we award scholarships to choose a field like teaching or legal services, a field where they can make a contribution," said Lawrence. "These women want careers that are helping society in some way because it's not about them, they're not just going to school for themselves."
Whether it's staying above the poverty line, filling an upcoming labor gap or simply being a role model for their children, two things about single moms are clear -- there's a lot riding on their career choices and the odds are against them. For Vo, those factors are only further proof that her choice to invest in her education was the right one. Vo makes it clear that it was hard work, but a valuable investment: "There are days that you're working and you're stressed, but in the end it's worth it because you're working towards a goal that's going to provide a much better future."
The spike in single-parent grads can be, in part, chalked up to necessity. As the pay gap between workers with college degrees and those without steadily widens, an increasing number of single parents simply have to gain higher-education credentials in order to stay afloat. Unfortunately, many still sink, and many of them are women. A 2006 census poll shows that more than half of all U.S. families currently living below the poverty line are headed by single moms. More parents, including Vo, are finding that cracking the books is one of the surest ways to gain financial security. A second development, said Jill Sullivan, director of the Keys to Degrees program at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., is that universities and colleges are slowly beginning to recognize single moms as an underserved population. "[Single-parent students are] trying to balance work and going to school and paying for day care and it's hard," Sullivan said. "College is usually the first thing that these parents would give up and we're trying to help."
Keys to Degrees is one of a handful of residential college programs nationwide aimed at keeping single parents in the classroom. In addition to receiving specialized child-friendly on-campus housing, free day care and a scholarship worth up to half of the yearly tuition, Endicott's nine Keys to Degrees parent-students also receive access to bimonthly parent support meetings and playgroups for the children. Single-parent programs like Endicott's and the one at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., aim to make an impact that extends far beyond both the grads and their immediate families. A recent survey conducted by American Intercontinental University shows that 80 percent of single moms between the ages of 18 and 29 would like to go back to the books. However, family and financial obstacles prevent all but 13 percent from getting there
Sullivan stresses the idea that by helping these students finish school, the schools are helping them gain financial independence that might not come easy without the education. She scoffs at the stereotype of the welfare-dependent single parent. "If the state would help them get through the education system, they're off the system after four years because they'll have the degree," she said. For those that do make it past the admissions gate, the outlook is promising according to Sue Lawrence, executive director of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, a nonprofit agency based in Athens, Ga., that provides scholarships to women aged 35 and above.
"Once they actually get into the classroom, we know that women with dependents are very serious about their studies," said Lawrence. "These women aren't going to school so that they can figure out what they want to be in life. They go because they very passionately want to provide for their families and give back to their communities." Giving back may be precisely what makes the single mother such a critical demographic. Besides breaking the cycle of poverty, studies show that single moms who return to school frequently gravitate toward careers in areas such as education, health care and social work -- fields that are anticipated to face a critical worker shortage within the next 10 years. "I'd say that 75 to 80 percent of the women we award scholarships to choose a field like teaching or legal services, a field where they can make a contribution," said Lawrence. "These women want careers that are helping society in some way because it's not about them, they're not just going to school for themselves."
Whether it's staying above the poverty line, filling an upcoming labor gap or simply being a role model for their children, two things about single moms are clear -- there's a lot riding on their career choices and the odds are against them. For Vo, those factors are only further proof that her choice to invest in her education was the right one. Vo makes it clear that it was hard work, but a valuable investment: "There are days that you're working and you're stressed, but in the end it's worth it because you're working towards a goal that's going to provide a much better future."
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