Student parents are a significant demographic on California’s college campuses. California Competes estimates that 17% of undergraduates in the state are parents. The California Alliance for Student Parent Success found that 61% of student parents are first-generation students and 54% have more than one child. Not only are parenting students balancing the demands of childcare and work while studying, but they also often live in rural areas with long commutes to school, making flexible class schedules and online offerings a priority.  

The California Student Parent Pooled Fund recognizes these challenges, advocates for the needs of student parents, and invests in multi-generational solutions for families’ well-being on campus. Please join us in welcoming the 2025 California Student Parent Pooled Fund grantees.

Meet the Grantees

Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) – Regional Student Parent Transfer Success Project

Mt. SAC is launching a regional initiative to strengthen transfer support for student parents across community colleges in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties. The collaborative model establishes a shared infrastructure to help colleges coordinate services, expand resources, and build stronger pathways to four-year universities. By elevating parent voices and improving navigation tools, the scalable model helps families move through college with greater confidence and stability. 

Western Governors University (WGU) – California Online Student Parent Research Initiative

WGU is spearheading a statewide initiative to improve outcomes for online student parents across California, where it serves over 16,800 learners. Through comprehensive research, the project will identify challenges specific to online learners with caregiving responsibilities and highlight strategies that improve their academic experience. Student parents will shape findings that inform training, institutional practices, and advocacy. The effort will culminate in a public Student Parent Success Playbook, offering practical guidance for colleges serving remote learners and expanding opportunities for families who rely on flexible pathways to complete their degrees.

Young Invincibles – Student Parent Power: Advancing Equity Through Leadership and Policy

Young Invincibles is integrating student parents into statewide youth organizing efforts that guide policy and advocacy in California. Through leadership development, listening sessions, and coalition partnerships, the project will provide an avenue for student parents to shape recommendations on childcare access, basic needs, and financial stability. Dedicated fellowship roles and organizing opportunities will elevate parent voices in key decision-making spaces while highlighting the realities and strengths of student parents. 

Aligning Research, Advocacy, and Community for Long-Term Change

Together, the grantees advance the Student Parent Pooled Fund’s commitment to research and practice; movement building; education, awareness, and narrative change; policy advocacy; and evaluation and impact. We are grateful for their commitment to build a coordinated movement that elevates parent voices and drives policy solutions that improve access to essential supports. With this shared work, California moves closer to a higher education system where student parents and their families can thrive.

Special thank you to our funding partners: the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, ECMC Foundation, R&S Kayne Foundation, Stupski Foundation, and The Ichigo Foundation.

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About Michelson 20MM

Michelson 20MM is a private, nonprofit foundation working toward equity for underserved and historically underrepresented communities by expanding access to educational and employment opportunities, increasing affordability of educational programs, and ensuring the necessary supports are in place for individuals to thrive. To do so, we work in the following verticals: Digital Equity, Intellectual Property, Smart Justice, Student Basic Needs, and Open Educational Resources (OER). Co-chaired and funded by Alya and Gary Michelson, Michelson 20MM is part of the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations.