In recent years, the share of undergraduate college students from low-income families has increased. However, low income is still a significant barrier to obtaining higher education. Moreover, despite low-income families not holding most student debt, the burden of loan repayment undoubtedly inflicts more hardship on such families. Given these stylized facts, the precise knowledge of the impact of income on college attendance and student debt acquisition/repayment could have broader policy implications. This study uses the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the Transition to Adulthood data from 1999 to 2019 to explore the relationship between young adult parents’ exposure to Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) before and during college and educational and student debt outcomes (such as college attendance, college completion, GPA, and student debt load).

Accepted Oral Presentation