One in eight students at public higher education institutions in California are parents. State and federal data help paint a picture of the actual experiences and needs of these students.
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Recent California legislation requires public institutions, including two-year and four-year colleges, to offer registration priority to parents of students. This means universities must collect data on the number of students with dependents. This requirement also opens up additional opportunities for support and services for these learners.
An Oct. 1 webinar by the California Alliance for Student Parent Success will look at the group’s two most recent reports to provide a comprehensive overview of student parenting and the supports already in place at California institutions. An example was explained.
By the numbers: Using federal data, the alliance found that 300,000 undergraduate students are parents, which equates to about 1 in 8 students in the public system. The majority of parenting students are Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, or Native American (72 percent), with 47 percent being Latino.
“Supporting student parents is not just about improving academic performance, it’s about addressing systems that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said AJ Johnson, director of policy at California Competes. That’s also true.” “Supporting parents of students supports the goal of racial equity.”
Across institutions, 15 percent of female students and 8 percent of male students have children. Mr Johnson noted that it is important for teachers to take this into account when establishing policy accommodations for childcare responsibilities, such as exemptions for absences, that many learners will benefit from.
The majority of students’ parents live in the interior of the state or in rural areas far from public universities. This can increase commute times for students’ parents and increase the need for flexible learning options, such as online programs. Higher education leaders can use data to identify ways to create access and reduce costs for parents who have limited opportunities to attend a physical university, Johnson said.
Parents of California students are raising 531,000 children, more than the total number of children living in Washington, DC and 12 states, and the majority of learners (54%) have more than one child . “By supporting our students’ parents, we are not only investing in their education, but also in the well-being and future of our youngest Californians,” Johnson added.
California Parents by Ashley Mowreader
This data also highlights risk factors for completion among students’ parents. More than 60 percent of students’ parents delayed enrolling in college by at least a year, compared with 25 percent of students without parents. Delayed enrollment is associated with a lower chance of graduating from college, something leaders should be aware of, Johnson said. Similarly, only 17 percent of students enrolled full-time have parents, but 47 percent of parents work full-time, which can further reduce their chances of earning a degree. there is.
Parents of students are more likely to receive Pell Grants (46 percent) and public benefits (39 percent) than non-parenting students.
Experts shared that using data to identify and validate the needs of student parents is key to supporting parent success. During the webinar, Maya Vallee, Senior Policy Analyst at EdTrust West, likened data to a flashlight that not only allows you to focus on students’ specific needs and draw attention to them, but also unlocks resources. He said that doing so is the key to opening the door to support.
On the ground: Among California state universities, the alliance identified Sacramento State University and California Polytechnic Institute, San Luis Obispo, as two models that prioritize student-parent success.
Cal Poly hired a full-time student services coordinator to lead programs for students with dependents, transforming the initiative from a student-led club to an institution-led initiative. One of the benefits of this change, Valree said, is that it preserves organizational knowledge by placing data in dedicated roles.
In addition, Cal Poly leaders created an intake form for parents to complete, increasing the institution’s level of data collection and understanding of the needs of student parents. This admissions form identifies trends among students with parents, such as the majority of learners with dependents being transfer students or graduate students, and many commuting long distances (as much as 100 miles) to campus. will help you identify. Staff hosted focus groups with parents around the residence to identify applicable solutions.
At Sacramento State University, student parents serve as peer ambassadors, working one-on-one with classmates to support their educational journey, and serve as liaisons between student parents and the institution to collect data. You can.
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This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Maya Valree’s name.
