ERIC Number: ED624639
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jul
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Identifying Institutional Needs for Student Parents in Community Colleges: Recommendations for Successful Policy and Practice
Huerta, Adrian H.; Salazar, Maritza E.; Lopez, Edgar F.; Torres, Gabriela; Badajos, Lauren M.; Lopez Matias, Norma A.
Pullias Center for Higher Education
Community colleges serve as the primary entry point for many nontraditional student populations. Over 3.8 million students in higher education are student parents (e.g., college students with dependents), and 42% of student parents are enrolled in community colleges across the country. In this report, we center the voices and experiences of student parents as well as the resources needed to better support them in two-year colleges. We have developed this report based on content analysis and interviews with 100+ student parents and five community college staff members who work in student-parent specific programs (i.e., student-parent initiatives, CARE, CalWORKS). We provide recommendations for improved institutional and system-wide practices, and detail student parent programs and resources available at 30+ community colleges. The goal of this report is to illuminate opportunities for community college leaders, staff, and faculty to address the specific needs of student parents that can impact policies and practices that increase degree and certificate completion. Enhanced support systems are needed for student parents as this group is relatively invisible and underserved at community colleges due to inaccurate reporting of their enrollment, persistence, and degree completion. [Funding for this report was provided by the Leonetti/O'Connell Family Foundation.]
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Nontraditional Students, Parents, Family Programs, Educational Opportunities, Leadership Effectiveness, Student Needs, Time to Degree, Associate Degrees, Disadvantaged, College Enrollment, Educational Resources, Parent Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Equal Education
Pullias Center for Higher Education. University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, Waite Phillips Hall Room 701, 3470 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089. Tel: 213-740-7218; Fax: 213-740-3889; e-mail: pullias@usc.edu; Web site: http://pullias.usc.edu
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: University of Southern California, Pullias Center for Higher Education
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A