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(New Mexico News Connection) Student parents at New Mexico's community colleges represent a significant portion of the postsecondary population.

And while the state has taken steps to help them, graduation is an uphill climb.

A study across nine New Mexico higher state education institutions by the research center Child Trends, found most parents pursuing an advanced degree are taking six-to-11 credit hours.

The nonprofit's Senior Research Scientist Renee Ryberg said most have more than one child - which means they're balancing kids, academics and a job.

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"Three-quarters of them are working, and to make all that fit in the 24 hours in a day," said Ryberg, "they're going to school largely part-time - 85 percent are pursuing degrees and certificates."

Ryberg said almost 60 percent of student parents work at least 30 hours a week.

In New Mexico, three-quarters of student parents are mothers and 33 percent say they have no formal child care, while the same percentage relies on unpaid relatives or friends.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says without access to child care, many student parents may miss classes and drop out.

Ryberg said community colleges offer students higher educational opportunities with less financial strain, more flexible schedules and smaller class sizes.

Currently, tuition and fees for full-time, in-state enrollment at a public two-year college average about $4,000 per year, compared to $11,000 at a public four-year institution.

Nonetheless, Ryberg said many parents, especially women eventually benefit from a few more years in the classroom.

"If that single mom has an associate's degree, she earns $367,000 more across her lifetime," said Ryberg, "and if she has a bachelor's degree, she earns more than $600,000 more across her lifetime than a single mom with a high school degree."

A recent report on best community colleges by the personal finance site, WalletHub, lists Santa Fe Community College and Southeast New Mexico College as 4th and 5th in the nation.

San Juan college nabbed 15th place among the country's top 20.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.