"I think it plays out in so many spaces, whether it's in philanthropy—where you have funders that want to solely focus on workforce development as a solution to dismantling poverty—or you have community groups who are focusing on getting folks into jobs, as opposed to really finding pathways to college and higher education."
"Rather than [viewing them as] being fully capable of earning a postsecondary credential, the focus is really on getting them into jobs that may not even allow them to put food on the table and really don't have opportunities for promotion. So, it comes from a sentiment of really limiting folk[s]."
Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder of Generation Hope, addresses the obstacles confronting student parents in her book Student Parent: The Fight for Families, the Cost of Poverty, and the Power of College. Lewis, who graduated from William & Mary with her young daughter, advocates for recognizing higher education as a viable pathway for low-income parents rather than defaulting to workforce development solutions. She identifies how philanthropy, community organizations, and societal perceptions underestimate the potential of parents navigating poverty, often directing them toward jobs without advancement opportunities instead of postsecondary credentials. Lewis combines personal narratives with concrete recommendations for college leaders and policymakers to improve access and completion rates for student parents.
#student-parents #higher-education-access #poverty-and-college-completion #workforce-development #education-policy
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