By Dr. Queena Hoang

As National Student Parent Month comes to a close and campuses welcome students back, student parents face a unique set of challenges that require tailored support from educational institutions. While many students are excited for the time of fresh beginnings, new friendships, and the chance to get involved with clubs and organizations, student parents experience time poverty. These students juggle the demands of coursework, parenting, and often employment. This creates a complex balancing act that can impact their academic success and overall well-being.

There are many ways in which institutions can support parenting students as they navigate the start of the academic year. Institutions can make the effort to recognize student parents’ unique needs and demonstrate a commitment to their overall success by offering intentional support services and tailored programming. Below are examples of programmatic offerings and policies institutions can implement to welcome their parenting students on campus. 

Building a Supportive Community: Encouraging Peer-to-Peer Connections

Isolation can be a significant barrier for parenting students, who may struggle to connect with non-parenting students. Building a supportive community can help alleviate this isolation and provide a network of understanding peers. Institutions can:

Create Parenting Student Organizations: Establishing or supporting student organizations specifically for parenting students can foster a sense of community and belonging. Moreno Valley College has a peer-led student support group for parents to discuss challenges and successes as they attend college. Activities include a book club, clothing exchanges, virtual and in-person meet-ups, and more. These groups provide a space for parenting students to share experiences, offer mutual support, and advocate for their needs within the university. 

Host Family-Friendly Events: Colleges and universities can organize events that are inclusive of students and their families, such as a family-friendly student orientation, family movie nights, picnics, or educational workshops. The events provide a break from academic pressures. At the same time, they allow parenting students to connect with others in similar situations.

Provide Mentorship Programs: Pairing new parenting students with more experienced student-parents can provide valuable mentorship and guidance. These relationships can offer advice and emotional support, which helps students navigate the challenges of balancing academics and parenting.

Develop Comprehensive Support Programs and Resources

Institutions can offer programs and resources that specifically cater to parenting students. These can include childcare services, family-friendly housing, and financial assistance targeted at student-parents. Institutions such as the University of California, Santa Cruz, Mt. San Antonio College, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have pioneered such initiatives with their student parent resources program, which offers a range of services from childcare subsidies to parenting workshops.

Flexible Academic Policies: Parenting students often require flexible academic policies to accommodate their responsibilities. This can include offering evening or online classes, allowing part-time enrollment, and providing lenient attendance policies. By offering these options, institutions empower parenting students to balance their academic and family obligations effectively.

Dedicated Counseling and Advising: Parenting students benefit from access to dedicated counselors and academic advisors who understand their unique challenges. These professionals can help students navigate the complexities of balancing academic and parenting responsibilities. Counselors provide guidance on time management, stress reduction, and academic planning—all tremendous resources for student parents.

Flexible Learning Environments: Adapting to Diverse Needs

Flexible learning environments are crucial for parenting students, who often need to fit their studies around their parenting responsibilities. Institutions can support this by:

Offering Online and Hybrid Courses: The availability of online and hybrid courses can be a game-changer for parenting students, allowing them to manage their time and reduce the need for on-campus presence. These courses should be designed with flexibility in mind, offering asynchronous learning options and recorded lectures.

Child-Friendly Study Spaces: Providing designated study spaces where children are welcome can make a significant difference for parenting students. These spaces should be equipped with amenities including comfortable seating, play areas, and access to technology. 

Accommodating Technology Needs: Parenting students may have limited access to technology or need specific accommodations to participate fully in their coursework. Providing laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, and other resources can help bridge the digital divide, ensuring all students have the tools they need to succeed.

Creating a Equitable Policies to Support Parenting Students 

Priority Registration for Parenting Students: California institutions have made tremendous strides in implementing AB2881, which grants student parents priority registration. This allows students to schedule classes that fit their unique time constraints. By giving parenting students early access to registration, institutions can help them build a schedule that accommodates both their academic and parenting duties.

Adjusting Cost of Attendance for Childcare Expenses: Traditional calculations of the cost of attendance often fail to account for the additional financial burdens faced by parenting students, particularly when it comes to childcare. A new California bill, AB 2458, calls for institutions to consider automatically adjusting the cost of attendance for student parents. The goal is for this to include childcare expenses, thereby allowing parenting students to receive more financial aid. This, in turn, allows parenting students to focus more on their studies.

Supporting parenting students as they begin the school year is about creating a culture of inclusion, empathy, and flexibility. In doing so, institutions not only support the success of these students but also contribute to the future of their children. By making a strong institutional commitment, fostering a supportive community, and providing a variety of learning options, colleges and universities are actively contributing to the academic and personal success of their parenting students. 

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.

By Dr. Queena Hoang

“Forging Equitable Futures for Student Parents in California: A Statewide Summit” was an inspiring start to national student parent month! Hosted by the Michelson 20MM Foundation and The California Alliance for Student Parent Success, the second annual event brought together advocates, practitioners, philanthropists, systems leaders, and parents from all across the state to amplify and share best practices. 

“Helping student parents will have a multiplier effect.” -Assemblymember Marc Berman

The two-day event began at Regal LA Live on September 5th with a keynote address from Assemblymember Marc Berman. As he stated, “helping student parents will have a multiplier effect.” Following his remarks, Assemblymember Berman was presented with the inaugural Student Parent Champion Award for his dedication and commitment to parenting students’ success. 

The evening continued with a screening of  “Raising Up,” a five-part docuseries investigating the barriers students face when pursuing higher education and showcasing the innovative leaders creating generational impact. After the film screening, parenting students and advocates featured in the docuseries took the stage to discuss their experiences and motivation behind the film. One summit attendee shared how inspired she was by the achievements of institutions such as Sacramento State University and organizations like Raise the Barr, which were highlighted in the film. The attendee asked, “But how do you do it? How do I get [my institution] to do it? We have great support services but we need things like student parent housing also.” Panelist Dr. Tina Cheuk shared the importance of speaking to the “minds and hearts” of decision-makers.

Day two of the summit began with welcoming remarks from the hosts, including President of L.A. Trade Tech College, Dr. Alfred McQuarters, and student body president and mother, Destiny Willis. After the opening remarks, little ones took the stage with their parents to share their ideal vision of family-serving institutions and what they loved most about attending school—from the children’s perspective. 

“We need a higher level of ethical care on our campuses. We want to be people first instead of simply students or employees. We need person-centered approaches.” -Summit Attendee, Student Parent Advocate 

Leaders from across the state then led the 200+ attendees in breakout sessions. During “Empowering and Centering Student Parent Voice through Economic Mobility Coaching and Holistic Support,” presented by members of LIFT Inc., one attendee shared, “We need a higher level of ethical care on our campuses. We want to be people first instead of simply students or employees. We need person-centered approaches.” 

Other topics included SNAP benefits, policy recommendations at the institutional and statewide level, potential impacts on cost of attendance with AB 2458, trauma-informed services, and the intersectional identities of former foster youth and parenting students. The summit also included sessions exclusively for parents to be in community with one another. We were honored to celebrate and recognize three parents for their innovative ideas on how to make postsecondary education more equitable for parenting students. 

The discussions throughout the summit highlighted the strength, determination, and brilliance of student parents who tirelessly balance their school obligations and co-curricular activities with parenting responsibilities. Their experiences reminded us of the need for higher education leaders and policymakers to create more inclusive and supportive environments for families. We also recalled the importance of love, support, and recognition thanks to the children who participated. 

As we continue to celebrate National Student Parent Month, let us remember their words, which are a call to action for all of us: to listen, to learn, and to be more supportive of the student parents in our communities. 

Special thank you to our sponsors: Foundation for Los Angeles Community College, ECMC Foundation, Stupski Foundation, California Department of Social Services, and Los Angeles Trade Technical-College.

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.

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