During the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government enacted an unprecedented package of social safety net measures, including broad-based cash transfers in the form of expanded unemployment insurance (UI), a series of economic impact payments (EIPs), and the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). It is well known that these measures-- especially the…

Children whose families experience socioeconomic disadvantage are at risk for poor sustained attention, a foundational skill related to goal-oriented behaviour, self-regulation and kindergarten readiness. Maternal parenting behaviours and parenting stress are theorised developmental pathways linking socioeconomic status (SES) to children's…

Despite the potential benefits, research has yet to synthesize the impact of mixed-income initiatives on educational opportunities for families. Moreover, the policy intentions of mixed-income initiatives, particularly concerning children's educational opportunities, remain largely untested and lack theoretical and conceptual foregrounding. To…

College attendance has increased significantly over the last few decades, but dropout rates remain high, with fewer than half of all adults ultimately obtaining a postsecondary credential. This project investigates whether one-on-one college coaching improves college attendance and completion outcomes for former state aid recipients identified as…

Bucky's Tuition Promise (BTP) at the University of Wisconsin--Madison offers generous financial aid to low-income, in-state students. Unlike many similar programs at other public universities, financial eligibility for BTP depends solely on a family's Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), rather than on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free…

Pell Grants are the cornerstone of federal financial aid for students with low income who are enrolled in postsecondary education. Currently, these grants are available only to those who seek an initial undergraduate degree or credential requiring at least a typical semester of instruction. Because these rules may restrict access to programs…

This appendix volume supplements report NCEE 2025-005r, describing the effects of two experimental Pell Grant expansions: the first allowed income-eligible students with a bachelor's degree to obtain this form of federal financial aid for short-term occupational training programs and the second allowed income-eligible students to obtain this aid…

Faced with the problem of how to measure the magnitude of economic disadvantage in the populations served by schools or districts, researchers addressing school finance topics have invariably turned to the fraction of students eligible for free- or reduced-lunches (FRPL). But the facile dependence on FRPL may be problematic. A large and growing…

School-age children need safe, supervised places to learn and grow during non-school hours while their parents and caregivers work. Beyond providing safety and supervision, participation in high-quality school-age child care programs offered before or after school, or during the summer, is associated with positive developmental outcomes for young…

Researchers have repeatedly found that within modern higher education systems, students from wealthier backgrounds tend to be concentrated in the most advantageous sectors. Dubbed "effectively maintained inequality," this process allows these groups to maintain a competitive advantage in the labor market by virtue of acquiring more elite…

Much of modern education has focused on developing individuals' skills to be productive parts of society. The developed skills can become enablers of financial stability, independence and economic security. Yet, on a relative basis, considerably less effort is expended on building the financial skills for individuals to preserve their wealth and…

Children from lower socio-economic status families, at times, experience particular difficulties when entering school. These children may be equipped with different skill sets not recognized at school. Many countries, including Singapore, are increasingly concerned about the quality of early education. Paramount to quality is also the inclusion…

Purpose: Children who have late language emergence, or are late talkers (LTs), have substantially lower vocabulary levels than their peers, on average. Notably, differences in how researchers define "who" comprises LTs can lead to inconsistencies across findings. The current study examined how the number of children identified as LTs…

The reconciliation bill House Republicans passed outlines several proposed changes to higher education financing, including a new risk-sharing formula that would have colleges pay back a portion of their students' unpaid student loan bills. The amount colleges must pay is based on borrowers' unpaid loan payments each year (missed payments or…

Postsecondary education and middle-skills occupational training are viewed as important paths to higher-paying jobs and careers. Lifelong learning pathways geared toward working learners aged 25 and older also seem essential for career advancement and professional growth in the current job market. However, many learners face financial and other…