Reaching for the Future: The Education-Focused Possible Selves of Low-Income Mothers

More individuals than ever before are pursuing higher education to prepare themselves for a competitive labor market. This may mean returning to the classroom to attain a general equivalency diploma (GED) degree, or going on to technical college, community college, or a four-year university to attain job training and skills. Studies show that those who attain a GED have higher earnings than high school dropouts (Boesel, Alsalam, and Smith, 1998), and data are strongly supportive of the link between increased education at all levels and higher earnings. For example, in 2004, the median weekly earnings for full-time female workers with an associate degree was $608, compared to $488 for women with only a high school diploma (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005). As a result, an increasing number of nontraditional students are returning to the classroom. Based on the National Households Education Survey of 2001, participation in adult education increased from 40 percent in 1995 to 46 percent in 2001, with more women than men seeking adult education (Kim, Hagedorn, Williamson, and Chapman, 2004). This increase in nontraditional students suggests that individuals are pursuing their educational and employment goals well into adulthood, perhaps with the desire to use education as a means to achieve employment and financial gains. While this is a promising trend, some segments of society may still be left behind. In this chapter we focus on low-income mothers who are making