A report by the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC), The Education Boost: Lifting Families Out of Poverty, finds that every additional year of education for rent-assisted householders increases their chance of successfully leaving rental assistance by 11%. The barriers they face in obtaining this education are the cost of college, childcare needs, transportation expenses, lack of internet access, and fewer peers who can help guide them through the college application and enrollment process.
The study found that rent-assisted adults have lower educational attainment, on average, than their unassisted low income peers. Among 18 to 29 year olds, the high school and college completion rates are nine and twelve percentage points lower for rent-assisted householders than their unassisted counterparts. Among 30 to 39 year olds, the college completion rate for rent-assisted householders is ten percentage points lower than for unassisted householders, but the high school completion rate is six percentage points higher for rent-assisted householders. These numbers indicate that GED programs are needed for younger rent-assistance recipients, while support for college enrollment is also important.
The report recommends strategies to help rent-assisted households enroll in educational programs, such as childcare support, assistance with transportation costs, internet access, mentoring and tutoring support, and college preparatory courses.
The Education Boost: Lifting Families Out of Poverty is available at: http://bit.ly/29Cma8I