While college attendance has increased over the last thirty years, the proportion of students who complete college has decreased. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago authored this issue brief which provides data on the educational…

From the Center for Law and Social Policy, Maine’s Parents as Scholars (PaS) program provides services to Maine TANF participants who are pursuing two-year or four-year postsecondary degrees. The program is open to all TANF participants who did…

The Economic Mobility Project authored this report on ways that students can increase their long-term earnings and the role of community colleges. Twenty-six percent of community college students come from low-income families, compared to 15…

Recent research shows that when work and education programs are combined, low-income families have improved outcomes. This research is from MDRC and provides evaluation information from programs that include education components to increase…

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) studied TANF applicants taking part in a post-secondary education program through a local non-profit while on the TANF caseload. By interviewing students, this study explored the challenges and…

While community colleges provide opportunities for low-income and disadvantaged populations to receive higher education, the persistence to stay in such programs is low. From MDRC's Opening Doors Demonstration, this report reviews the effects of…

Through MDRC's Opening Doors Demonstration and funded by state TANF dollars, New Orleans offers programs at two community colleges to offer scholarships for low-income parents. This article reviews early findings from the program and the positive…

This article reviews a project designed to provide welfare recipients working 20 hours a week with an education program at a local community college. The 24 week program included mathematics, English, computer skills, as well as life skills…

Because community colleges are often affordable, they offer many students the opportunity to gain postsecondary education. It has been found that many students, who start at community college, drop out. Because of this problem, the Opening Doors…

Examining federal, state, and institutional programs, the paper presents a framework for understanding challenges to securing comprehensive financial assistance for low-income working students. The paper identifies promising approaches for…