Ii-generation (2Gen) programs and policies create opportunities that allow adults and the children in their lives to build on each other's successes. Ensuring that both parents and children accept admission to affordable, high-quality educational opportunities, for example, is a cadre component of a 2Gen approach. Investments in the postsecondary success of parents with immature children can increase attainment of credentials leading to practiced jobs, bring children the benefits of high-quality learning environments, promote later college-going among children, and better family unit economic security across generations.

Today'south Student Parent Population

More than 1 in 5 higher students—or 22 percentage of all undergraduates—are parents, according to new analysis of information from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Written report.[ane] Of the three.viii 1000000 students who are raising children while in college, roughly ii.7 million (or 70 percent) are mothers and 1.ane million (thirty pct) are fathers (Figure 1).[ii] The ane.7 meg unmarried student mothers enrolled as of 2015-16 represent more than than two in five student parents (43 per centum). While the majority of mothers in college are single parents (62 pct), the majority of fathers are married (61 percent). In other words, fathers in college are one.half dozen times more likely to be married than unmarried and student mothers are 1.6 times more probable to be unmarried than married (Figure ane).

Between the 2011-12 and 2015-16 bookish years, the share of students who are parents declined by 15 percent and the total number declined by 20 percentage.[3] While enrollment amid all undergraduates decreased in that time (by roughly 6 percent), the number of college students who are parents dropped more sharply than among students overall.

A number of factors may have contributed to the declining share of college students with children, including declining unemployment over this time menses post-obit the finish of the Great Recession, and the rising cost of higher in combination with the continued high price of non-tuition expenses like kid care, housing, and transportation.[4] Such factors may have disproportionately affected student parents' ability to afford college as well as their assessments of the relative benefits of college enrollment compared with the immediate benefits of working without attending school. The closure of more than than 100 for-profit colleges betwixt 2012 and 2016 probably likewise contributed to parents' decreased share of the student trunk.[5] The number of student parents enrolled in for-profits declined by 39 percent between 2011-12 and 2015-16 (the largest decline amid all institution types), compared with a 25 percent reject in the number of parents enrolled in community colleges and a 12 percent decline in those enrolled in public four-twelvemonth colleges.[6]

The largest share of student parents is enrolled in community colleges (42 percentage of all student parents are community college students; Figure 2). Similar shares of student parents attend private forprofit and public iv-year institutions (18 percentage and 17 pct, respectively), with the remainder enrolled in private nonprofit iv twelvemonth (13 per centum) and other/more than 1 establishment (10 percentage).

While pupil parents are most probable to nourish community colleges, their proportion of the overall educatee body varies by establishment type. For-profit schools enroll the largest share of pupil parents compared with other institution types — 45 per centum of all for-profit students are students with children and 39 pct are single mothers — followed by community colleges, whose student body is more 1-quarter pupil parents (26 percentage; Figure 3).[7]

Student parents are more likely than students without children to be students of color: 51 per centum compared with 46 percent of students without children.[8] Looking across racial/ethnic backgrounds, Black higher students are the almost probable to be parents (33 percent), and Black women—two in five of whom are mothers—are more probable than women from other backgrounds to be raising children while in college (Figure 4).[9] American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students are also likely to be parents (29 percent and 30 percent, respectively), with more than one-third of women in both groups being mothers (Figure 4). Roughly one in five Hispanic students (21 pct), White students (21 percent), and students of more than one race (xx percent) are parents, equally are thirteen percent of Asian students.[10]

Student parents tend to exist older while enrolled in college than their peers without children. Student parents' median historic period is 32, compared with 27 for independent students without children and 20 for dependent students.[eleven] Three in five student parents are thirty or older, roughly one-quarter are 24-29, and 15 percentage are ages 15-23. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander pupil parents are more likely to be in their 30s or older (near three-quarters are in that age group) than other student parents, while Hispanic student parents are younger than parents of other racial/ethnic backgrounds (their median age is 30). Married student parents tend to be older than their single counterparts, with a median age of 34 and thirty, respectively.

The large majority of student parents have 1 or two children (nearly 80 pct) and over one-half accept children who are preschool-aged or younger (53 percent have children nether age half-dozen; Figure 5). Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Blackness, and American Indian/Alaska Native student parents are the most likely to take youngest children who are six or older (over half of each group). Asian educatee parents are about likely to have children ages 0-v (64 percent), followed by pupil parents of more than 1 race (56 percent), Hispanic student parents (56 percentage), and White student parents (53 percent; Figure 5).

High College Debt Amidst Student Parents

Educatee parents' family responsibilities, financial insecurity, and high enrollment in for-profit institutions tin atomic number 82 them to infringe more for college than other students.12 Median debt among student parents enrolled in 2015-16 was more than two-and-a-half times higher than debt among students without children ($6,500 compared with $2,500, respectively).13 Mothers, and especially unmarried mothers, borrow more than than other pupil parents and students without children. Student mothers enrolled in 2015-16 held a median $8,300 in debt, and single mothers carried $9,500 in debt. Median debt among single mothers in college was ii.7 times higher than median debt among women students without children ($3,500).

Blackness student parents concur more than student debt than parents or nonparents of every other racial/indigenous background. Black student parents borrow an average of $eighteen,100, compared with an average of $13,500 amidst all students, $xiii,100 amid White pupil parents, and $x,400 among Hispanic student parents (Effigy 6).

Student Parents Earn Better Grades than Other Pupil Groups

Student parents are often motivated to pursue college by a desire to better their children'due south lives.[14] While a range of obstacles tin impede their ability to graduate on time, student parents achieve college class point averages (GPA) than other students.[fifteen] 1-3rd of student parents have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, compared with 31 percent of independent nonparents and 26 percent of dependent students (Figure vii).

Promoting Student Parents' College Success

Given the large share of parents who are students of color, promoting college success among student parents is critical to improving racial/ethnic equity in higher education access and outcomes. It is besides vital to achieving national and country goals to substantially increment the number of US adults with postsecondary credentials.[16] Ensuring pupil parents accept admission to affordable, quality, child care—which 1 report found more than tripled their likelihood of on-time graduation—in addition to supports similar coaching, affordable family unit housing, emergency fiscal aid, mentoring and peer back up, and physical and mental health care, would improve postsecondary success and economical security across generations.[17]

Notes

[one] Plant for Women'southward Policy Enquiry (IWPR). 2018. Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) analysis
of data from the U.Due south. Department of Teaching, National Centre for Education Statistics, 2015–16 National
Postsecondary Student Help Study (NPSAS:16).

[two] Found for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). 2018. Found for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) analysis
of information from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015–16 National
Postsecondary Pupil Help Study (NPSAS:16) and Integrated Postsecondary Teaching Data System (IPEDS)
Spring 2001 through Spring 2017, Autumn Enrollment component.
PARENTS IN COLLEGE • ascend.aspeninstitute.org • iwpr.org Page 8

[3] Ibid. Institute for Women's Policy Inquiry (IWPR). 2018. Institute for Women's Policy Inquiry (IWPR) analysis
of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Centre for Education Statistics, 2011–12 National
Postsecondary Student Assist Study (NPSAS:12).

[4] Agency of Labor Statistics. 2016. "Unemployment rate nears prerecession level by end of 2015." Washington,
DC: U.South. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. <https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2016/article/ unemployment-charge per unit-nears-prerecession-level-past-finish-of-2015.htm> (accessed January 23, 2019). Jennifer Ma,
Sandy Baum, Matea Pender, and CJ Libassi. 2018. Trends in College Pricing 2018. New York, NY: The College
Board. <https://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/2018-trends-in-college-pricing.pdf> (accessed
Nov 9, 2018). Kid Care Aware of America. 2018. The U.S. and the High Cost of Child Intendance: A Review
of Prices and Proposed Solutions for a Cleaved System. Arlington, VA: Child Care Aware of America. <https:// cdn2.hubspot.cyberspace/hubfs/3957809/costofcare2018.pdf> (accessed October 22, 2018). Sara Goldrick-Rab, Jed
Richardson, Joel Schneider, Anthony Hernandez, and Clare Cady. 2018. Still Hungry and Homeless in Higher.
Philadelphia, PA: Wisconsin HOPE Lab, Academy of Wisconsin-Madison. <http://wihopelab.com/publications/ Wisconsin-HOPE-Lab-Still-Hungry-and-Homeless.pdf> (accessed August xvi, 2018).

[five] Institute for Women'south Policy Research (IWPR). 2018. Institute for Women'due south Policy Research (IWPR) analysis
of data from NPSAS:xvi and IPEDS Spring 2001 through Leap 2017. U.S. Section of Pedagogy, National
Center for Didactics Statistics, "Tabular array 317.50. Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions That Take Closed
Their Doors, by Command and Level." Washington, DC. <https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/ dt17_317.l.asp> (accessed November 21, 2018).

[6] IWPR. 2018. IWPR analysis of information from NPSAS:16 and IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2017.

[7] Ibid.

[8] IWPR. 2018. IWPR analysis of data from NPSAS:sixteen.

[9] Ibid.

[x] Ibid.

[11] Ibid. Independent students have one or more of the post-obit characteristics: at least 24 years old; married;
a graduate or professional person educatee; a veteran; a fellow member of the armed forces; an orphan, in foster care, or a
dependent or ward of the court since age 13; has legal dependents other than a spouse; an emancipated
minor; or homeless or at gamble of becoming homeless. Federal Educatee Aid. n.d. "Glossary."

[12] Barbara Gault, Lindsey Reichlin, Elizabeth Reynolds, and Meghan Froehner. 2014. "Campus Kid Care
Failing Even As Growing Numbers of Parents Attend College." Fact Sheet, IWPR #C425. Washington, DC:
Institute for Women'due south Policy Enquiry. <https://iwpr.org/publications/campus-child-care-failing-evenas- growing-numbers-of-parents-attend-college/> (accessed November 21, 2018). Lindsey Reichlin Cruse,
Eleanor Eckerson, and Barbara Gault. 2018. "Agreement the New Higher Majority: The Demographic
and Financial Characteristics of Independent Students and Their Postsecondary Outcomes." Washington,
DC: Institute for Women'southward Policy Research. <https://iwpr.org/publications/independent-students-newcollege- majority/> (accessed March 26, 2018). IWPR. 2017. "Single Mothers Overrepresented at For-Profit
Colleges." Quick Effigy, IWPR #C452. Washington, DC: Institute for Women'due south Policy Enquiry. <https://iwpr. org/publications/single-mothers-overrepresented-profit-colleges/> (accessed Nov 6, 2017). Caren
A. Arbeit and Laura Horn. 2017. A Profile of the Enrollment Patterns and Demographic Characteristics of
Undergraduates at For-Profit Institutions. Washington, DC: U.Due south. Section of Education, National Center for
Educational activity Statistics. <https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017416.pdf> (accessed November 21, 2018).

[xiii] IWPR. 2018. IWPR analysis of information from NPSAS:16.

[14] Cynthia Hess, Sylvia Krohn, Lindsey Reichlin, Stephanie Roman, and Barbara Gault. 2014. Securing a Improve
Future: A Portrait of Female Students in Mississippi'due south Community Colleges. Written report, IWPR #C417. Washington,
DC: Institute for Women's Policy Enquiry and the Women's Foundation of Mississippi. <https://iwpr.org/wpcontent/ uploads/wpallimport/files/iwpr-consign/publications/C417.pdf> (accessed November 21, 2018).

[15] Barbara Gault, Lindsey Reichlin, Elizabeth Reynolds, and Meghan Froehner. 2014. "iv.8 One thousand thousand College
Students Are Raising Children." Fact Sheet, IWPR #C424. Washington, DC: Plant for Women's Policy
Research. <https://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/4.8-million-college-students-are-raising-children>
(accessed September 8, 2015).

[16] Emily Parker, Lauren Sisneros, and Emily Pingel. 2016. Free Community Higher: An Approach to Increase
Developed Student Success in Postsecondary Education. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States. <http:// world wide web.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/Free-Community-College-An-arroyo-to-increment-adult-studentsuccess- in-postsecondary-education-.pdf> (accessed November 21, 2018).

[17] Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Barbara Gault, Jooyeoun Suh, and Mary Ann DeMario. 2018. "Fourth dimension Demands of
Single Mother College Students and the Role of Child Care in Their Postsecondary Success." Briefing Paper,
IWPR #C468. Washington, DC: Institute for Women'southward Policy Research. <https://iwpr.org/publications/singlemothers- higher-time-use/> (accessed August 22, 2018).

This fact sheet was produced by the Institute for Women's Policy Enquiry and Ascend at the Aspen Institute with generous support from the Omidyar Network and ECMC Foundation. It was prepared by Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Tessa Holtzman, and Barbara Gault from the Establish for Women's Policy Research, and David Croom and Portia Polk from Ascend.