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Families
Why Colleges Need to Track Student Parents Better
One in five college students are parents, but most colleges don't know which students have children or what help they need. This creates problems because student parents face extra challenges like finding childcare and paying for family housing. New America and Urban Institute explain why colleges should collect better data about student parents. They address four common myths: that data doesn't help students (it does - it helps colleges provide better support), that it creates too much work (it's actually easy to add to existing surveys), that privacy laws prevent it (colleges already protect sensitive student data), and that it costs too much (the benefits outweigh the costs). When colleges know which students are parents, they can schedule classes at better times, partner with childcare providers, and offer targeted financial aid. Several states are now requiring colleges to collect this data. The authors argue this information is essential for helping student parents succeed in school and graduate. Better data leads to better support services, which helps both students and their families. This research comes from SPARK, a collaboration working to support pregnant and parenting students through policy changes.
March 11, 2026·www.newamerica.org
Article
One in five college students are parents, but most colleges don't know which students have children or what help they need. This creates problems because student parents face extra challenges like finding childcare and paying for family housing. New America and Urban Institute explain why colleges should collect better data about student parents. They address four common myths: that data doesn't help students (it does - it helps colleges provide better support), that it creates too much work (it's actually easy to add to existing surveys), that privacy laws prevent it (colleges already protect sensitive student data), and that it costs too much (the benefits outweigh the costs). When colleges know which students are parents, they can schedule classes at better times, partner with childcare providers, and offer targeted financial aid. Several states are now requiring colleges to collect this data. The authors argue this information is essential for helping student parents succeed in school and graduate. Better data leads to better support services, which helps both students and their families. This research comes from SPARK, a collaboration working to support pregnant and parenting students through policy changes.
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