Women are the majority population in Texas that participate in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and public housing assistance programs. TANF focuses on mandatory work requirements with a time-limit on assistance and lack of education opportunities. This dissertation documents post-secondary education opportunities for Texas women…

Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE), a study of 13,444 randomly assigned youth and their families, includes six model demonstration projects and a technical assistance center funded through the U.S. Department of Education and a national evaluation of the model demonstration projects funded through the…

The aim of this essay is to reflect on an alternative pedagogical model, family workshops, and see how they can serve as an unconventional approach to family engagement, as well as provide a practical recount of the work developed by the LISELL-B Project. This alternative and innovative model may serve as a practical guide for educators,…

This qualitative action research case study examined the high school to college transition experiences of 11 Latino/a parents of first-generation college students. Participants attended a two-day workshop series, the purpose of which was to provide parents with college knowledge information to better support their children when transitioning to…

Twenty-two percent of students at United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) in Bismarck, North Dakota, have dependents. UTTC offers a wide array of family support, including a wellness center complete with fitness classes and personal trainers, a full-time safety and security department, childcare from infants to school age, housing with multiple…

This document discusses a range of policy and practice options that states can undertake to increase college student access to public benefits. The Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc. (CLASP) has leveraged its hands-on policy and cross-issue technical assistance expertise to identify these options. Many states have already implemented one or…

The Minnesota Subsidized and Transitional Employment Demonstration (MSTED) is testing the effectiveness of subsidized employment for individuals enrolled in the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Minnesota's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, who were unable to find employment after participating in the state's existing…

In recent years, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and educational institutions have shown an interest in the federal government increasing financial support to individuals who pursue training and postsecondary education in non-degree instructional and work-based learning programs. This report provides an overview of existing federal programs…

Interest in parents' roles in promoting students' academic success and career aspirations, especially in STEM areas, has grown as educators and world leaders set goals for expanding and diversifying the STEM workforce and extending science literacy across the globe. Responding to a call for research on fathers' roles, and considering the rise in…

Earning a college degree has long been critical to unlocking many high-paying jobs -- and, as a result, to economic mobility and security. Increasingly, however, the traditional "norm" of a college student--one who enrolls straight out of high school, receives some support from their parents, lives on campus, and does not have…

This study relied upon the lived experiences of deaf communities to develop community-driven solutions for eliminating employment and educational attainment gaps within deaf communities. "Community conversations," a community-based participatory research model, was used to engage a broad cross-section of deaf community members and…

This report--written by Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield and Brian Sponsler--provides an overview of current public benefit policies and encourages states to look beyond traditional financial aid sources and free college programs to better support student success among students with low incomes. The brief calls for adopting states to adopt policies that…

National and state policymakers are considering whether to expand or establish work requirements for safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. During this process, policymakers should take into account what safety net program recipients need to meet those requirements and place themselves on a…

The continual rise of student loan debt seems to show the world that students are willing to do whatever it takes to become successful in life. However, when they have completed the requirement for the degree many question if the whole journey was worth it. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the potential…

Single mothers and their children have the highest poverty rate with over 43% being impoverished. Currently, 43% of parenting students in higher education are single mothers, but only 27% complete a degree or certification within six years of enrollment. The purpose of the current study is to identify the key programs and services that higher…