Metrowest Women’s Fund Releases Needs Assessment on Supporting Single Mother Students in Metrowest

The Metrowest Women’s Fund (MWF) has released a new needs assessment (report) examining the barriers facing single mother students pursuing higher education in Metrowest and identifying ways the community can better support their success. The report finds that single mother students in Metrowest face urgent financial, academic and structural barriers to completing higher education.  These findings point to a clear opportunity: targeted, flexible support can help women stay enrolled, finish school and create lasting benefits for their families. The assessment reinforces MWF’s long-standing commitment to investing in women and girls and supporting educational opportunity.

The report focuses on the challenges facing single mothers who are balancing college with caregiving responsibilities, often while managing economic insecurity and limited access to coordinated support. It found that single mother students are especially vulnerable to unexpected expenses, rigid school policies and barriers to planning for education and career advancement.

“Single mother students are determined to build better futures for themselves and their children, but too often they are asked to do that without enough support,” said Rebecca Parkhill, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Metrowest Women’s Fund. “This needs assessment makes clear that timely, flexible and accessible resources in an emergency can make the difference between staying in school or having to leave." MWF created the Single Mother Student Emergency Fund in 2021 to help students meet non-tuition emergency costs that could otherwise force them out of school. The fund supports needs such as childcare, housing and other basic expenses when unexpected hardship threatens their educational progress.

According to the assessment, single mother students face three major challenges: basic-needs insecurity that can delay graduation or lead to unenrollment, limited guidance as first-generation college students and difficulty navigating traditional education environments with rigid administrative systems. The report also notes that only 8% of single mothers in the United States earn an associate or bachelor’s degree within six years of enrolling, compared with 49% of women in college who are not mothers. 

"MWF’s work through the Single Mother Student Emergency Fund reflects its broader mission to identify and address the needs of women and girls in Metrowest," said Rachel Sagan, Co-Founder and Co-Director. "The new assessment provides a roadmap for community members, donors and partners who want to help more single mother students succeed and complete their education."

Read the Executive Summary MWF Needs Assessment of Educational Opportunities for Single Mother Students

View the MWF Needs Assessment of Educational Opportunities for Single Mother Students

Learn more about the MWF Single Mother Student Emergency Fund initiative