Resource Library

Who Are Undergraduates with Dependent Children?

More than 3 million undergraduate students in the United States are parents, representing nearly one in five college students. Supporting student parents promotes their academic achievement and enhances their family well-being, supports college enrollment and completion goals, and can boost state economic health. This brief uses the latest available data to summarize key characteristics of undergraduate students with dependent children.

Join Us for More Resources

SPARK members can annotate and discuss resources across the community, as well as being the first to know when new resources are released!

Sign Up

Submit a Resource

Click the button below to submit a resource for consideration in this library.

Submit
The SPARK Collaborative is extremely grateful to all who contributed to this library, especially Erica Hernandez and her team of students at Bowie State, who compiled many of resources in the original Zotero database; the interns at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and their advisor Teresa Bill, who cleaned thousands of resources in summer 2024; and Kimberly Salazar from the Urban Institute for her careful quality review.

1 – 10 of 167 posts related to Report or Brief clear

Spark Original

The Financial Well-Being of Parents Pursuing Postsecondary Education

Oct 30, 2024 |United States|Report or Brief

This new brief published by the SPARK Collaborative uses 2020 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) data to document student parents' living expenses, the resources student parents leverage to attend postsecondary education, and the gaps student parents face between their expenses and their resources.
Spark Original

Where Do Student Parents Attend College?

Sep 30, 2024 |United States|Report or Brief

A Snapshot of Student-Parent Attendance Patterns Using 2020 Data
Spark Original

Who Are Undergraduates with Dependent Children?

Sep 30, 2024 |United States|Report or Brief

This new brief published by the SPARK Collaborative uses 2020 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) data to summarize key characteristics of undergraduate students with children.

Ascending with Parents: A Guide to Centering Parent Voice in Policy and Practice

Sep 2024 |United States|Report or Brief|Public

This guide seeks to illuminate effective strategies organizations can implement to engage parent voice in their work at varying levels of intensity. We hope this guide helps you tap into the incredible passion and wisdom of parents in your community and does so in a way that honors their leadership and expertise.

Survey of parenting students in New Mexico helps us understand their needs

Jul 23, 2024 |Report or Brief

Child Trends surveyed nearly 1,000 student parents across nine institutions of higher education in New Mexico. Findings uncover policy opportunities that could better support this student population.

Advancing equity in attainment for Black single mothers in college: Understanding their needs and supporting their success

Apr 18, 2024 |Report or Brief

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research interviewed 25 Black single mothers attending community colleges whose stories elevate the need for affordable and accessible child care. This report centers issues specific to Black community college mothers.

Testimony in Support of House Bill 0463 Maryland Higher Education Commission Demographic Data Collection Parental Status

2024 |United States|Report or Brief|Public

In this written testimony submitted to the Maryland House of Delegates, Theresa Anderson expresses support for H.B. 0463: Maryland Higher Education Commission Demographic Data Collection Parental ...

The Taxpayer Benefits of Supporting Student Parents: An Analysis of Three Policy Options for Virginia's Public Colleges

2024 |United States|Report or Brief|Public

Nationally, approximately one in six undergraduates at public colleges are student parents. In Virginia, the figure is one in eight. Being a student parent means pursuing a college degree while caring...

How Should Colleges Collect Parenting Student Data? (Version 1.0)

2024 |United States|Report or Brief|Public

Colleges, systems, and states have identified collecting data on parenting students as a necessary step to support educational opportunities for adults and families. In recent years, the states of Cal...

Research Report: Student-Parents Experiences of Academic and Non-academic Support in UK Higher Education

2024 |United States|Report or Brief|Public

This report analyses the findings of a nationwide study of students who are also parents (student-parents). Carried out between May and August 2023, the study builds on previous small-scale research p...
More

Join Us for More Resources

SPARK members can annotate and discuss resources across the community, as well as being the first to know when new resources are released!

Sign Up

Submit a Resource

Click the button below to submit a resource for consideration in this library.

Submit
The SPARK Collaborative is extremely grateful to all who contributed to this library, especially Erica Hernandez and her team of students at Bowie State, who compiled many of resources in the original Zotero database; the interns at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and their advisor Teresa Bill, who cleaned thousands of resources in summer 2024; and Kimberly Salazar from the Urban Institute for her careful quality review.
Jump
To Top

Stay Connected, Sign up for Emails

SPARK is a values-driven, action-oriented, big-tent collaboration. We offer tools and joint spaces for those committed to supporting parents as they pursue their education goals.
Notice something wrong? Click here to let us know!
©2024 SPARK Collaborative, some rights reserved.
Contact Login
resources News & Events
SPARK is a values-driven, action-oriented, big-tent collaboration. We offer tools and joint spaces for those committed to supporting parents as they pursue their education goals.
©2024 SPARK Collaborative, some rights reserved.