Karen wakes up at 5 a.m. to pack lunches for her husband and children before eating a quick breakfast so she can be at work by 6 a.m. She finishes her 10-hour shift at 4 p.m., just in time to pick her children up from their after school program. As she prepares dinner, she reviews the assigned reading so she can be prepared for her 6:30 p.m. English class at the community college. Her sister comes over to stay with her children while she attends her three-hour class. After returning home to tuck her children into bed, Karen completes an hour of homework before going to sleep at 11 p.m. so she can try to get adequate rest before repeating the routine the next day.
Are we setting them up for success?
Many parenting students have lives and schedules that are as busy and stressful as Karen’s. If you’ve ever spent time around kids, you know the amount of work and time it takes to raise a kid is endless. In the United States, in the past, college education was reserved for young men but obviously times have changed. Thankfully, now anyone can go to college! Nontraditional students, a term which includes parenting students, are common on college campuses but that doesn’t mean attending college as a nontraditional student is as easy or as pleasant as holding a sleeping baby. In fact, according to one study, a staggering 67% of nontraditional students leave college before receiving a degree (MacDonald 2018). Another study shows that parenting students make up approximately one-third of students in higher education- and since colleges and universities have desperately been trying to keep enrollment numbers up so they can keep their doors open, every student counts! But parenting students struggle! One study says that family and work responsibilities are the two highest-rated barriers preventing adult learners from returning to the classroom (MacDonald 2018).
The research is there and sends a clear message: finishing college as a parenting student is like trying to hold on to a suds-up baby in the shower; it’s ridiculously hard! Should higher education give up on parenting students? No! And they certainly can’t afford to. But that’s not the only reason we need to hold on to parenting students. Humans who have raised another human bring unique perspectives to the classroom. They have valuable life experience and may offer creative solutions to complex problems. So the next question we must ask is: what measures can be taken to increase student success and boost persistence rates. In other words, how the heck do we get the baby daddas and mommas to keep coming to class?!The bottom line is that parenting students need more support.
There are many colleges and universities around the country which have programs and policies in place which support parenting students. Here are just a few that I have learned about:
On-campus childcare: How dreamy would it be to drop off your kiddo on campus at an affordable (or free!), high-quality childcare center that’s walking distance to your classroom? According to one study, childcare is available at approximately 45% of college campuses in the United States; however, studies show that this number is declining (Reichlin Cruse et al. 2021). Wrong direction, folks!
Child-friendly classes: Most colleges have policies about children on campus, but the policies differ greatly in how supportive they are to parenting students. I would venture to say that most staff and faculty aren’t familiar with their “Children On Campus” because they just assume children are never allowed to attend a class with their parents, even though many campus policies state that with advance instructor permission, children may attend classes in case of emergency.
Child-friendly services: Providing child friendly tutoring, advising, events, and clubs can help parenting students survive and thrive on campus.
Priority registration for parenting students: Many colleges provide priority registration for certain groups like returning students or Veterans. Helping parenting students take the classes they need as quickly as possible could be one way to help them reach their academic goals before giving up.
Priority parking for parenting students: Getting to class on time is a struggle for everyone but even more challenging when you are responsible for helping another human start their day. Designating a certain number of parking spots for parenting students may be another small way to help parenting students get to class on time, even when last minute diaper changes occur unexpectedly.
Gathering data on student parents: What percent of students at your institution are parenting students? My institution, Skagit Valley College, does not collect data on parenting students so essentially, we have not idea how many of our students are parenting students. Collecting data on this is an essential place to start as institutions can make informed decisions on what types of services they can implement to boost parenting students' success rates.
Child-friendly classes: Most colleges have policies about children on campus, but the policies differ greatly in how supportive they are to parenting students. I would venture to say that most staff and faculty aren’t familiar with their “Children On Campus” because they just assume children are never allowed to attend a class with their parents, even though many campus policies state that with advance instructor permission, children may attend classes in case of emergency.
Child-friendly services: Providing child friendly tutoring, advising, events, and clubs can help parenting students survive and thrive on campus.
Priority registration for parenting students: Many colleges provide priority registration for certain groups like returning students or Veterans. Helping parenting students take the classes they need as quickly as possible could be one way to help them reach their academic goals before giving up.
Priority parking for parenting students: Getting to class on time is a struggle for everyone but even more challenging when you are responsible for helping another human start their day. Designating a certain number of parking spots for parenting students may be another small way to help parenting students get to class on time, even when last minute diaper changes occur unexpectedly.
Gathering data on student parents: What percent of students at your institution are parenting students? My institution, Skagit Valley College, does not collect data on parenting students so essentially, we have not idea how many of our students are parenting students. Collecting data on this is an essential place to start as institutions can make informed decisions on what types of services they can implement to boost parenting students' success rates.
On a personal note
I, myself, am a parenting student and the majority of my ESOL students are parenting students. Getting my master's degree as a working mom is challenging but I am privileged enough to have the financial and emotional support of my spouse and 10-year-old son. I can’t imagine how hard it would be as a low income parenting student or a single parent just beginning their journey in higher education. I am passionate about this topic because I have lived and seen the struggles that parenting students face and hope that I can use my privilege and platform to advocate for positive change in this area.What about you?
Are you a parenting student? What challenges do you or have you faced on your academic journey? What supports do you have or wish you had? Does your college offer extra support for parenting students? Leave me a comment below; I can’t wait to hear from you!
References:
MacDonald, Kris. 2018. “A Review of the Literature: The Needs of Nontraditional Students in Postsecondary Education.” Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly 5(4):159–64. doi:10.1002/sem3.20115.
Reichlin Cruse, Lindsey, Lashawn Richburg-Hayes, Amanda Hare, and Susana Contreras-Mendez. 2021. “Evaluating the Role of Campus Childcare.”Photo Credits:
Image 1 Gustavo Fring- https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-long-sleeve-shirt-sitting-beside-girl-writing-on-the-notebook-3985037/
Image 2 Cottonbro studio - https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-and-a-kid-with-soap-suds-on-hands-7086481/
Image 3 Cottonbro studio- https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-boy-typing-on-his-laptop-while-listening-to-the-woman-beside-him-6986443/
Imagine 4 Hilary Disantos https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-academic-regalia-holding-a-baby-10468113/
Image 5 Lindsey Franger, 2026, Pizza party
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