Quantitative results are based on a national telephone survey of 1,070 respondents by DYG, Inc. in December 1998 and January 1999. The text is accompanied by numerous charts and graphs, as well as quotes from focus group participants and survey respondents. Like men, they also tie schooling to a better chance of economic success. While money is the biggest obstacle to education for all groups, women in the School to Work group see it as more of a problem than do men. Women in this group were also more likely to feel they could have benefited from more financial information.
Age is a stronger barrier to returning to school for women than for men.
People of color place more importance on a postgraduate degree than do whites. To both men and women with children, flexibility in class scheduling may outweigh financial aid as a factor in determining if they will return to school. Other key findings and conclusions deal with test anxiety, school counseling, child care, job market perceptions, equity and accessibility, and employer incentives. These are highlighted in the report's executive summary. Suggestions include providing better information about financial aid and careers, and increasing institutional flexibility.