What if the programs designed to help people get by are also some of the most effective tools we have to help them get ahead? New research suggests that helping students meet basic needs can make a meaningful difference in enrollment, persistence, and completion.
For decades, conversations about economic support and upward mobility have largely centered on a single idea: work is the primary pathway to self-sufficiency. Public benefit programs have been designed accordingly, often reinforcing employment through work requirements and incentives.
But a new study from our partners at Child Trends and RAND examining nearly 30 years of data on low-income young adults suggests we may be missing a critical piece of the equation about education beyond high school. The findings point to something both intuitive and often overlooked: when people have the stability to meet their everyday essentials, they’re better positioned to invest in their futures.
Public benefits increase access. Financial aid supports progress. Together, they drive outcomes.
Programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and SNAP significantly increase the likelihood that low-income young adults enroll in education beyond high school. These supports help make enrollment possible in the first place, reducing the immediate financial pressures that often prevent individuals from taking that first step.
Once students are enrolled, financial aid plays a different but equally critical role. By covering a greater share of the cost of attendance, aid enables students to enroll full-time and reduce work hours—both of which are strongly associated with completion.
The distinction matters. Public benefits and financial aid operate at different pressure points. One helps individuals get in and stay in; the other helps them fully engage and finish.
Access alone, though, isn’t enough.
Continuity drives completion.
One of the clearest findings in the research is that sustained support over time matters. Each additional year of receiving public benefits or financial aid while enrolled significantly increases the likelihood of earning a degree.
This reinforces a broader lesson: short-term interventions are rarely enough. Students balancing education with work and family responsibilities need sustained support, not just at the point of entry, but throughout their journey.
The returns are real—but not evenly distributed.
The long-term payoff of these educational pathways is substantial. Bachelor’s and graduate degrees are associated with significant increases in mid-life earnings, while associate degrees reduce poverty and improve mobility.
At the same time, persistent racial and gender disparities in income remind us that education alone cannot fully close equity gaps. Structural barriers in the labor market continue to shape outcomes, even for those who complete degrees.
Broader implications for policy and practice
Taken together, these findings challenge us to rethink how systems are designed. Too often, public benefits and higher education policy operate in parallel rather than in coordination. This research makes it clear that coordination matters.
If we are serious about expanding opportunity, particularly for the millions of adults with some college and no credential, we need to move beyond the false choice between supporting work and supporting education. They’re deeply connected, and we must design systems that reflect that reality.
The path to economic mobility isn’t linear. But when public benefits and financial aid are better intertwined, they do more than help students manage immediate changes. They create more stable, stronger pathways from economic insecurity to long-term opportunity.