This comprehensive report by The Education Trust, supported by Imaginable Futures and in partnership with Generation Hope, delves into the significant challenges faced by student parents in affording higher education while managing child care. Highlighting the severe financial strains and accessibility issues related to child care, the report provides detailed data and recommendations to improve conditions for student parents seeking college degrees.
Main Takeaways:
- Critical Financial Barriers: The cost of higher education coupled with child care expenses creates a substantial financial burden for student parents, making it nearly impossible for them to manage without significant work hours beyond typical part-time jobs.
- Impact of Child Care Costs: The affordability gap for student parents, which includes tuition and child care expenses, is far greater than for their non-parenting peers. In many states, student parents need to work an unfeasible number of hours to cover these costs.
- State Variability in Support: There is considerable variability among states in terms of the net price of education and child care costs, affecting how many hours student parents must work to afford education.
- Policy Recommendations: The report suggests a range of measures for federal and state policymakers, as well as higher education institutions, to improve support for student parents. These include increasing financial aid, raising the minimum wage, and expanding on-campus child care options.