Material Hardship Trajectories From Infancy to Adolescence: Intergenerational Impact on Emerging Adults' Educational Pathways

Intergenerational transmission of disadvantage affects young adults' upward mobility, yet little is known about how distinct trajectories of material hardship from infancy to adolescence influence educational pathways. Using data from the U.S. Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4700; 21.17% White, 47.73% Black, 27.21% Latine), we identified material hardship at ages 1, 3, 5, 9, and 15 and examined its associations with educational outcomes at age 22. Growth mixture modeling uncovered four trajectories: Low Stable Hardship (n = 3617, 77%), Low Increasing Hardship (n = 502, 10.6%), High Decreasing Hardship (n = 375, 8%), and Persistent High Hardship (n = 206, 4.4%). Young adults in the Low Stable Hardship class reported higher educational aspirations than those in the Low Increasing Hardship and Persistent High Hardship classes, and higher educational attainment than all other classes. Findings highlight the importance of strengthening families' resources during sensitive developmental periods and inform tailored interventions to protect children from economic instability, thereby disrupting cycles of disadvantage and promoting intergenerational mobility.