The Importance of Place: How State Policy Contexts Shape Student-Mothers’ Educational Experiences

This comparative case study compares the experiences of low-income student-mothers living in Democratic- versus Republican-controlled states to interrogate the impact of state aid on their trajectories. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as a guide, we argue that liberal aid policies and the state context in which they are enacted facilitate student-mothers’ access to and success in college. Findings underscore the critical function that states can serve in implementing policies and programs, particularly for those most in need of support, and point out the inequities facing low-income student-parents shaped significantly by the ruling political parties in different states.