Material hardship impedes academic achievement at every level of education. This dissertation examines the response of a higher education institution in reducing poverty's impact, specifically food and housing insecurities, on its student population. This qualitative case study researched a single-bound case in the southern United States. The…

The world's perplexing challenge in the 21st Century is empowering people to eradicate poverty. Poverty in its many forms and dimensions undermines, subdues, and diminishes human agency. Research on education and poverty has concluded that what the poor people need most is empowerment. This qualitative case study research focused on the…

This dissertation examines two policies that affect women's education, bargaining power, son preference, and awareness of domestic violence in developing countries. The first chapter evaluates a conditional cash transfer program in Bangladesh to identify its impact on the education of multiple generations and explores the pathways behind the…

This qualitative study examines the material conditions and day-to-day realities of youth and family homelessness in the context of widespread economic oppression and rising inequalities in the United States. Using a critical ethnographic methodology, primary data sources included observations in Cinderville Unified School District and interviews…

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program was established under the Equal Opportunity Act of 1964 to place low-income students with part-time employment to offset some educational expenses. In 1965, it was moved by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the Higher Education Act of 1965. The program was originally established as a job development program to…

Recent studies have acknowledged the role of community-based organizations (CBOs) in tackling poverty. CBOs could provide a valuable social space, networks, and supporting resources for disadvantaged people in local communities. They could also provide psychological empowerment opportunities and experiences that could positively influence the…

After over 60 years of plain writing advocacy calling for government agencies to increase the clarity of official communication, the Plain Writing Act (PWA) of 2010 codified the incorporation of plain language in any federal government document for pubic use. However, no extensive evaluation of government food assistance applications has been…

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs are increasingly being used through the developing world to reduce inequality, break the intergenerational poverty cycle, and build human capital. These programs vary by country but typically make cash transfers conditional upon children meeting certain healthcare and educational standards. While previous…

Effective poverty reduction programs require careful measurement of poverty status. Commonly used consumption or income-based classifications of poverty aggregate together households that are persistently poor with those who are only in poverty due to passing conditions. They also classify as non-poor households that are at risk of falling into…