Nearly 1 in 5 undergraduate students nationwide are parents, and the Texas undergraduate population mirrors this trend. As college enrollment demographics shift, some institutions are working to become more “student ready.”  Yet, while affordable and accessible child care and flexible course structures are basic needs for student-parents — who routinely juggle child-care, household, and work responsibilities — many campuses and communities lack the resources to adequately support them.

We must do more to support student-parents.

In a 2022 report, EdTrust researchers challenged the myth that student-parents can finance college and child care while working a minimum-wage job and recommended ways that federal, state, and campus leaders can better support student-parents — including setting clear guidelines for identifying them and collecting data to address their affordability challenges.

One for-profit Texas college, The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP), recognizes that adult students and student-parents have different needs and is providing its students — 42% of whom are parents and a majority of whom are students of color from low-income backgrounds — with flexible pathways to economic mobility through professional health careers. Certificate program credits are built to be transferred into CHCP’s stackable associate degree completion programs which can then transfer into CHCP’s bachelor’s degree program, allowing students to seamlessly pursue a credential or degree and progress along a career pathway as they work. So far, it seems to be working.

A cohort of 2023-2024 graduates in CHCP’s stackable certificate programs saw their median annual earnings rise from $2,645 before enrollment (based on their FAFSA-reported student income) to $34,320 after program completion, according to the Texas Workforce Commission’s annual placement report. Alumni who completed a certificate or associate degree experienced nearly a tenfold increase in future earnings for every dollar spent on their education.

To produce these results, The CHCP focuses on supporting student-parents and adult learners in three ways: (1) gathering better data on them, (2) meeting students where they are, and (3) providing flexible course structures and support.

Data Is Crucial

By relentlessly collecting, tracking, analyzing, and acting upon student data, colleges can provide supports to students in a timely manner. CHCP monitors student progress from the moment students apply until they complete their program. The college collects comprehensive information on enrollment, financial aid, retention, academic progress, attendance, and academic status. The college also tracks the locations of students’ externships, the number of externships that lead directly to employment, the certifications earned by students, where graduates are hired, how long it takes graduates to find jobs in their field, and the amount of realized earnings. CHCP collects data on its student-parents by downloading information from federal Institutional Student Information Records, which are available to all institutions for students who complete a FAFSA. CHCP also leverages other reliable survey data, such as student assessments.

Until recently, few institutions collected data on student-parents; however, Texas lawmakers have enacted a new law requiring postsecondary institutions to gather data on student-parents — including their numbers, demographics, and academic outcomes. The law also mandates that institutions appoint a student liaison to connect student-parents with available resources and support services, such as child care, employment assistance, public benefits programs, and medical and mental-health services. This law was passed alongside other policies aimed at better supporting student-parents, including priority course registration to help them manage their academic schedules more easily.

More data is a good start; but how it’s used is key. CHCP is utilizing data to design a college experience that works for students. It offers stackable, industry-recognized certificate programs that count toward degrees; blended and hybrid scheduling options that fit the complicated schedules of their learners; and holistic advising that helps students develop skills for workplace success and connects them to additional off-campus resources. The college is committed to removing barriers to completion and providing tailored support for each student’s needs. Every student has a team — including faculty and staff from financial aid, career services, and others they connect with regularly — that supports them throughout their time at CHCP.

Meeting Students Where They Are

Student-parents lead complicated lives. Many juggle multiple jobs while providing for their families and caring for older relatives. According to a recent survey by Trellis Strategies, two-thirds of student-parents spend over 40 hours a week caring for dependents. Moreover, a quarter of them have missed at least one class due to a lack of child care. While colleges want to believe that school is their students’ top priority, a sick child or the need to earn overtime pay often takes precedence.

Meeting students where they are means designing academic programs that provide tailored academic and advising support to a learner population that largely consists of students of color, first-generation students, working students, and student-parents like Erica, a healthcare professional who recently finished a bachelor’s degree and attributes her success to the many CHCP mentors and advisers who guided her along the way:

The College of Healthcare Professions has given me a lot of help, from career services to my teachers and mentors — they’ve always been available when I had questions, concerns, or needed someone to listen. My message to the staff and faculty is to keep doing a wonderful job. Without you guys, we wouldn’t be the students we are now.

It means providing consistency and predictability in course scheduling and program cohorts to build confidence, strengthen community, and reduce stress, especially for those attending college for the first time.

Above all, it’s about being proactive. Rather than waiting for students to ask for help, CHCP uses data to identify those who are missing class. Faculty, staff, advisers, and administrators then reach out to these students to identify the reasons for their absences and to explore alternative paths forward. CHCP also meets students where they are by assisting with basic needs — such as child care and food — and connecting them with resources and services so they can focus on learning.

Providing Flexible Course Structures and Support

Traditional college course schedules can make it difficult for working students and parents to maintain a work-life balance. They must arrange child care — which is often expensive — ensure that classes do not conflict with their work schedules and caregiving responsibilities, and commute between campus and home. All of this takes a toll. Without support, some may succumb to stress and abandon their dream of obtaining a college education.

To alleviate some of this burden, CHCP introduced flexible yet highly structured program models that require students to come to campus only one or two days per week. Labs and other hands-on lessons that require an instructor’s close supervision are held on campus, while lectures and coursework are delivered asynchronously online, allowing students to access them at their convenience. Because students need to come to campus only once or twice each week, it’s easier for them to balance the competing demands of college, work, and family. This program model also reduces their commuting and child-care costs.

CHCP students expect to be held accountable for completing their assignments and making steady progress toward earning their credentials. But they also want to be treated with respect and compassion, and they want someone to believe in them. Flexible program models that respond to students’ needs and respect their time have fostered a culture of belonging where student-parents can thrive.

And, as CHCP student-parents like Erica will tell you, having a supportive environment and a sense of belonging on campus makes all the difference.