In an effort to provide support for its student parents at all 23 of its campuses, the California State University (CSU) launched its first university-wide initiative focused on this demographic.
“Pregnant and Parenting Student Initiative”, once fully implemented, will have the goal of reducing the ‘stop out’ rate – students who leave college without graduating with a degree or credential – primarily due to the demands of trying to be both a student and a parent. Given that 19 percent of all college students, or 3.7 million students, are balancing the roles of student and parent, the initiative comes at a critical time.
In July 2024, with the support of the Michelson 20MM Foundation, CSU launched the program, which is part of a longer-term agenda to help build the CSU as a system for supporting student parents. While many campuses within CSU already support pregnant and parenting students, university officials said that this initiative will see formalized services available across the entire system – and a larger, more coordinated voice for student parents in the university.
Prompted by California Assembly Bill 2881, introduced by Senator Marc Berman in 2022, the legislation provided priority registration for students with dependents and mandated the development of a centralized webpage offering parenting students access to both on-campus and off-campus resources.
"This was really the first time we could start gathering better data on how many parenting students we have across our system," said Carolyn O'Keefe, CSU Director of Student Wellness and Basic Needs who helped launch the CSU Pregnant and Parenting Student Initiative.
In an interview with Diverse, O’Keefe emphasized that while basic needs like food and housing are important, many student parents require additional academic and childcare support. She explained that parenting students often need flexibility with class schedules, childcare resources, and child-friendly spaces on campus. The initiative aims to address these needs and reduce stigma around seeking services.
A key development is the transition of the advisory board from the Michelson 20MM Foundation to the CSU Chancellor’s Office, with Michelson continuing to provide financial backing and hosting annual parenting student symposiums. Moving forward, CSU will hold a retreat to shape the vision for this initiative and set short- and long-term goals. Okeefe expressed excitement about building a systemwide network that allows campuses to share best practices and tailor solutions to their unique student populations.
