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7 Strategies to Improve Outcomes for Student Parents

April 16, 2017

Make them feel welcome through focused outreach, support during the transition to campus, and continuing activities for parents and kids.
Example: The women’s-studies department at the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse offers a free, semester-length college-prep course for low-income parents and provides a $500 scholarship to graduates of the course who enroll at the university or at local two-year colleges.

Offer parents specialized academic advising, skill-building workshops, and flexible scheduling.
Example: The University of California at Berkeley’s Student Parent Center helps pregnant and parenting students request academic accommodations and course-load reductions.

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Make them feel welcome through focused outreach, support during the transition to campus, and continuing activities for parents and kids.
Example: The women’s-studies department at the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse offers a free, semester-length college-prep course for low-income parents and provides a $500 scholarship to graduates of the course who enroll at the university or at local two-year colleges.

Offer parents specialized academic advising, skill-building workshops, and flexible scheduling.
Example: The University of California at Berkeley’s Student Parent Center helps pregnant and parenting students request academic accommodations and course-load reductions.

Provide on-campus child care, or assistance finding off-campus care; help parents get access to state child-care subsidies, and consider institutional subsidies.
Example: Oklahoma City Community College’s child-care center offers drop-in care for children whose parents are in class, for $15 for three hours.

Offer individualized encouragement and support to student parents, and strengthen peer-to-peer connections.
Example: The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities holds weekly parent-support lunch meetings that feature both structured presentations and group discussions.

Provide financial assistance beyond student aid, such as emergency funds, food banks, gift cards, and supplies for children.
Example: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College gives students who participate in parenting programs one-on-one counseling and tutoring sessions, home health visits, points toward gas and grocery cards, bookstore gift certificates, and other rewards.

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Help parents navigate the public-benefits system and gain access to community services.
Example: Northampton Community College assists students in applying for health-care and public benefits, like food stamps and cash assistance.

Provide — or create — affordable housing for parents.
Example: Angelina College and a pair of nonprofit groups raised private funds for 40 apartments in an on-campus complex with a child-development center and support services.

Source: “Prepping Colleges for Parents,” Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2015

A version of this article appeared in the April 21, 2017, issue.
Read other items in this College, With Kids package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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