“Securing a Better Future: A Portrait of Female Students in Mississippi’s Community Colleges.”
The Women’s Foundation of Mississippi recently released a new report on the state of women in the Mississippi community college system: “Securing a Better Future: A Portrait of Female Students in Mississippi’s Community Colleges.” Foundation for the Mid South funded this work, along with the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the Gates Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The survey was designed as a part of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s Student Parent Success Initiative.
Securing a Better Future

Community colleges are an important pathway for women hoping to attain economic security, but many female community college students face obstacles to completing their degrees.
Nearly 550 students from 13 of the Mississippi’s 15 community colleges responded to this online survey, with 60% coming from two schools. IWPR also interviewed eight community college administrators about what they perceive as students’ unmet needs and possible solutions to better serve these students.
The main goals of the survey were to:
Identify support systems and practices that can help women succeed in community college and reach economic stability

Examine women’s personal and career goals, motivations for pursuing college, support needs and challenges related to finances, health and time
Read the report in its entirety  click here. To learn more about how the Foundation for the Mid South community development initiative click here.