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Financial aid and peer support contributed to parenting students’ success at Austin Community Colleges.
Around 22 percent of all students in higher education are parenting while pursuing an education, and a majority are single parents. Despite making up a significant portion of undergraduate enrollment, students with children are less likely to earn a credential, with 48 percent of student mothers leaving college without a credential and 61 percent of student fathers stopping out.
To address student parents’ success, Austin Community College in Texas created the Parenting Students Project, which provides wraparound assistance to young adult learners with dependents. Since launching in 2021, the program has seen a positive impact on participants’ academic outcomes, sense of belonging, time management and financial security, according to a February report from Trellis Strategies.
Over all, participants felt the program positively impacted their academic experience and provided practical and emotional support as well as contributed to their ability to better care for and support their families.
By the numbers: A September 2023 report from Trellis found student parents are more likely to be people of color, working full-time and enrolled part-time. Students with dependents are also more likely to have been housing insecure or have low food security, compared to their nonparenting peers.
How it works: To be eligible for the program, the student must be under 30 years old and have a child who is under 12 years old. Students must be enrolled in at least nine credit hours as well.
Participants attend monthly peer meetings to engage with other parenting students and learn about mental health, building credit and other relevant topics.
In addition to socio-emotional support, qualifying students receive a $500 monthly stipend (funded by a private donor) and case management from a student advocate, who connects them to the college’s support services such as childcare scholarships.
From fall 2021 to spring 2024, the program supported 95 students and 137 dependents. PSP is fully funded through spring 2025.
The impact: Trellis researchers conducted interviews with eight recent PSP participants to understand how they interacted with program and college resources and other lived experiences as a parenting student. Researchers also analyzed records for 7,626 student parents enrolled between fall 2021 and spring 2024 to understand the effects of participation on academic intensity, GPA, retention and completion.
Researchers found the program assisted student success in four areas: academic progress, financial wellness, family life and mental health and belonging.
Ninety-five percent of participants retained to the following semester, compared to 75 percent of the general parenting student population, and they were more likely to complete at least nine credit hours.
PSP participation was also associated with long-term retention and completion; all 31 students who participated in PSP for at least four semesters either graduated or retained to spring 2024.
However, program participants were not more likely than their peers to hold a higher GPA, and they often held lower cumulative GPAs upon graduation compared to their peers who didn’t participate in the program, showing limited evidence the initiative impacted academic standing.
Students who engaged with PSP demonstrated less financial insecurity, as well. PSP participants borrowed $1,052 less per semester and required less emergency funding to pay for unexpected expenses. Interviewed students say the stipend alleviated transportation concerns and gave them more flexibility with their work schedules, allowing them to better organize their time.
In addition to supporting their lives as students, the program allowed for more focus on family. Students who received a childcare scholarship had increased retention and higher GPA. Interview participants said they had more time, energy and tools to be better parents as a result of the program, such as increased awareness of summer reading programs or basic needs closets with free diapers. Some students also applied the stipend to their children’s needs for diapers, wipes or bottles.
Having peer connections and support helped students stay motivated and increased their sense of institutional support. Participants also gained the knowledge and confidence to navigate institutional resources for other supports. The role of student advocate was particularly impactful for helping learners navigate challenges, reduce barriers and demonstrate care and compassion.
Improving support: While the program had positive results in the desired areas, keeping up with program requirements was a challenge for some learners, particularly the credit requirement and regular peer meetings. Students indicated they understood the benefits of completing nine credits because they made faster progress to their degree, but caring for their child or children and taking three classes added stress to their lives.
Others had challenges utilizing the childcare scholarship, such as restrictions on childcare options covered or poor experiences with the facilities. Participants indicated on-campus childcare centers would be beneficial and provide better flexibility.
While many looked forward to completing their degree, they also recognized they would lose access to necessary resources, including the $500 monthly stipend, as they left the institution. “However, participating in the PSP gave these parents a better sense of what resources they needed, and more confidence in advocating for their needs,” according to the report.
Male parenting students, who make up 30 percent of student parents nationally, were underrepresented among PSP participants (2 percent, compared to 21 percent of all parenting students), and researchers believe this disparity requires further investigation.
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