ACCI Conference 2024

Robert O. Herrmann Outstanding Dissertation Award Winner

This dissertation examined the impact of parental illness on children’s academic achievements using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its Transition to Adulthood Supplement. It consists of three essays that explored different aspects of educational outcomes: high school GPA, college enrollment, and college academic performance. The first essay found a significant negative impact on children's high school GPA from severe maternal physical illnesses or mental health issues that occurred before the children's high school years. The second essay revealed that both maternal and paternal illnesses significantly diminished the likelihood of college enrollment by the age of 21, as well as the expectation to complete a four-year degree. Specifically, children of mothers with severe or mental health conditions, or multiple health issues, faced reduced prospects for higher education. The third essay employed fixed effects estimation to analyze college GPA, uncovering that the onset of chronic parental illness during a child’s college years negatively impacted their academic results. Overall, the findings suggested that parental health problems have extensive consequences on children's educational paths, prompting a need for improved support structures within educational institutions to aid students facing these challenges.

Author(s): Malika Dhakhwa