As the demographic cliff continues to loom large, institutions of all types are focusing their attention on how to attract—and serve—the “new majority” of nontraditional students in higher education. This growing population includes students who haven’t always been well-served by many institutions of higher ed: first-gen students, students with disabilities; military personnel, veterans, and their spouses; adult learners, formerly incarcerated individuals—and student parents. [Higher Ed Dive]
One in five college students now have a dependent under the age of 18. According to a 2024 survey by Trellis Strategies, two-thirds of student parents spend 40 hours a week caring for dependents.
Colleges that cater to student parents are investing in on-campus child care, family-accessible housing, and increased support for basic needs like food and mental health care—all areas that can cause student parents to stop out of college.
A few organizations that are leading the way in supporting student parents:
On March 27, The Education Trust recognized the College of Health Care Professions (which offers stackable, industry-recognized programs) for its efforts to remove barriers to college completion for student parents. Routine data collection helps the institution identify parents amongst its student population, assess the challenges they face, and provide tailored support and advising. CHCP has also implemented a hybrid, flexible course structure that makes it so student parents only need to come to campus 1-2 days per week, accommodating for complicated schedules and reducing stress.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, over 2 million single mothers enroll in postsecondary education each year, representing 11% of all learners; however, there are few specific student success programs that target this population. The Education Design Lab–with the support of ECMC Foundation—launched the Single Moms Success Design Challenge, a multi-year initiative to design, implement, and scale interventions that boost community college completion rates for single mothers. The first cohort has shown encouraging early results in its quest to improve degree and credential attainment for single moms by 30%.
Since launching in 2021, Austin Community College’s Parenting Student Project (PSP)—which provides wraparound support specific to the needs of student parents—has had a positive impact on student parent retention and well-being. Trellis Strategies researchers found that 95% of PSP participants retained to the following semester, and all 31 students who engaged with PSP for at least four semesters either graduated or retained to spring 2024. Additionally, PSP improved financial stability, academic outcomes, and mental health and contributed to a greater sense of belonging on campus for participating student parents.
Interested in learning more?
In 2024, W/A teamed up with Three Frame Media on the rollout of “Raising Up,” a five-part docuseries investigating the barriers student parents face as they work towards a college degree or credential. The series, which follows four student parents, sheds light on the issues of childcare, affordable housing, mental health and workforce pathways and how these learners navigate these challenges. You can watch the short films for free, here.
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