Abstract
The financing of college education by male and female single-parent families and two-parent families is compared. Female single parents are at a significant disadvantage in being able to accumulate funds, but this is partially offset by financial aid. Variables accounting for significant variation in the parents' contribution to student education expenses are: public versus private school, financial aid, parents' saving behavior, students' contribution, race, and family type. The amount of parental contribution is positively correlated with parent net worth, family per capita income, and total student cost; it is negatively correlated with age of the student.
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This study utilized data from the National Postsecondary Education Student Aid Study prepared for the National Center for Education Statistics, U. S. Department of Education, by Westat, Inc. Partial support for the research was supplied by the College of Human Ecology and the Computer Science Center of the University of Maryland. The author expresses her appreciation to the Editor and Reviewers for their valuable suggestions.
Her research interests include personal finance, family resource management, and personal factors affecting the handling of money. She is a graduate of Berea College, Berea, KY, and received both the M. Ed. and Ed. D. from The Pennsylvania State University.
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Churaman, C.V. Financing of college education by single-parent and two-parent families. J Fam Econ Iss 13, 95–112 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01013647
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01013647