A study published in Canadian Studies in Population shows that grandparents’ earnings are connected to their grandchildren’s chances of attending postsecondary education. Researchers at Université de Montréal examined multigenerational tax records and identified a clear link between higher grandparent income and increased likelihood of university enrollment.
The analysis found that grandparents can partly reduce disadvantages faced by children from lower-income homes, particularly for undergraduate programs. This effect holds across genders but becomes smaller when researchers account for parents’ education and jobs.
Grandparents may help through financial aid, material support, or by offering family stability. The study used Canadian tax forms combined with census data to trace family connections beyond those living in one household.
Access was limited to 20 percent of records due to privacy rules, which restricted the sample size. Results also revealed ongoing gaps in education access, with young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds facing the greatest barriers.
The findings suggest that social mobility estimates based on two generations may overlook longer-term patterns of inequality. The authors note that current policies may not fully address accumulated family disadvantages and call for stronger support for students from low-resource backgrounds.
