Who Returns to School? Non-traditional Patterns of Mothers' School Attendance

• In Event: 525 - Regular Session. Inequality and Diversity in Higher Education

Abstract

Education in later life is increasingly common in the United States, yet remains understudied. We seek to contribute to our knowledge of this phenomenon by examining what factors predict returning to school for women who have become mothers. To do this, we build off theoretical perspectives of, and empirical research on, educational attainment, life course and educational trajectories, and family factors. Taking these perspectives together we create a new model for understanding characteristics associated with returning to school for mothers. Our sample includes a modern cohort of women (in the NLSY 79). We find that returning to school does not conform to the traditional predictors of educational attainment, but is a distinct process.

Authors

• Caren Arbeit, University of Minnesota

• Christopher C. Weiss, New York University