By Kenita Smith | President/CEO & Founder
Over the past 12 years, supporters like you have changed the trajectory of 267 lives by making it possible for single parents to earn a college degree. And, for the 16 single-parent participants currently enrolled in our program, your support means they will be able to pull themselves out of poverty and create the life they've always dreamed of for themselves and their children.
Many single parents do not attend college due to a lack of resources available to them. According to a Women Employed publication, “Single Mothers and College Success: Creating Paths Out of Poverty,” single parents face especially daunting challenges in their efforts to obtain a degree. Compared to married parents, single parents are more likely to have low incomes and have greater challenges paying tuition and arranging childcare. Because of such hurdles, it typically takes between six to 15 years for single parents to complete a Bachelor's degree, compared to an average of six years for single students with no children. In fact, of the estimated 1.7 million single mothers striving to earn college degrees, only 8% will finish within six years due to the difficulties of balancing parenting with schoolwork and jobs.
However, through your donations, you have truly empowered and equipped the single parents in our program by eliminating several of the barriers that prevent them from succeeding. YTD, 100% of our single parents have graduated within six years. In fact, 48% are the first member of their family to attend college and graduate! In addition, 64% of our single parents were making under $20,000 when they started the program, but now 32% of our graduates have yearly incomes between $20k-$40k. Furthermore, 24% have incomes between $40k-$50k, and 32% have yearly incomes over $50,000, which is a 140% increase!
We invite you to continue on this journey with us into 2022 as we prepare for several of our participants to become Spring graduates.
Wishing you health and happiness in the New Year,
Kenita Smith, BBA, MBA, MA
H.O.P.E., Inc., Founder/CEO/President
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