Education: “The One Factor that Can Keep Me from Sliding into Hopeless Poverty”

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act severely restricted access to postsecondary education for people receiving welfare. Through well-organized advocacy efforts, Maine was able to maintain access to higher education for families on welfare–one of only two states to do so in 1997–through the Parents as Scholars (PaS) program. This paper reports on the second wave of data in a longitudinal study of PaS participants. Findings indicate many benefits for survey respondents, including increased earnings and enhanced self-esteem. We conclude with a discussion of how these findings have been used to support the reintegration of education into welfare programs through the reauthorization process.