This research compares remittance-receiving families in rural Mexico to
non-remittance receiving households in terms of how the presence of this
financial source relates to variation in parent educational aspirations for
their children and youth enrollment and completion at the non-compulsory upper
secondary schooling level. Using multivariate analysis of a comprehensive survey
collected in a significant migrant-sending state, no evidence is found of a
remittance effect on the selected outcomes. Rather, other socio-demographic
background factors — namely, maternal education levels and to a lesser extent
household wealth — are the factors most associated with variation in these
educational outcomes. Implications for migration and education public policy and
suggestions for future research are discussed.
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