Across the United States, millions of students are derailed from completing their college degree not by academic challenges, but by unexpected financial emergencies and the overwhelming costs of balancing education with basic needs. This is especially student parents. More than one in five undergraduates are student parents, with single mothers representing 43 percent of this population alone. All too often, however, financial struggles get in the way of student completion—a recent student financial wellness survey reports that more than half of respondents (58 percent) experienced basic needs insecurity, including difficulties accessing food, housing, or other fundamental resources essential for academic success.
A new series of briefs from HCM Strategists and Scholarship America provides a roadmap for institutions and policymakers to better support student parents—ensuring they stay enrolled, complete their education, and strengthen their families, communities, and the nation’s workforce.