Education first? Lone parents' lived experience of the challenges and benefits of participating in higher education

Abstract

There is a concerning educational attainment gap between lone parents and the general population, particularly at third-level. Given the economic and other benefits of higher education (HE) and the fact that lone parents have a very high risk of poverty, this is a problem. Despite the government’s commitment to increase access to HE for lone parents, as set out in the National Access Plan 2022-2028, there is a dearth of targeted policy interventions and of research on how to boost access and retention for this cohort. In addition, for lone parents who claim social welfare, they have increasingly become the subject of social welfare policy interventions that prioritise work over education, or ‘work first’. Against this background, this project conducted mixed-methods research to document the experience of lone parents in HE, exploring their pathways into HE, potential challenges and rewards, and factors that support retention. Through a survey of 105 lone parent students, interviews with twelve lone parent students and five audio diaries documenting typical days in college, the research generated a detailed set of findings with the aim of advancing an ‘education first’ approach to supporting lone parents. Education first refers to a policy approach that supports and enables lone parents to pursue education if it is their preference to do so.