The report, "Supporting Young Parents in Higher Education," draws on five years of pilot programs across community colleges in Austin, Texas; Miami-Dade County, Florida; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The study focused on parents aged 18-24, a population that includes approximately 275,000 undergraduate students nationwide.
According to the report, 52% of parenting students left college without a degree in the 2015-2016 academic year, compared to 32% of students who were not parents. The research identifies several key barriers contributing to these higher dropout rates, including financial insecurity, lack of child care, social isolation, and inflexible academic policies.
"Young parenting students are more likely than older parenting students to report mental health challenges including depression, substance use and low self-esteem," the report states. Many also struggle with basic needs: 34% of undergraduate parents could not come up with $500 for an emergency, compared with 15% of students without children.
The financial burden on parenting students is particularly acute. Among those pursuing associate degrees, 57% take out student loans compared to 33% of non-parenting students. Black mothers face the highest debt burden, with more than one-third taking out more than $27,000 in loans for undergraduate studies.
The Casey Foundation's Expanding Opportunities for Young Families (EOYF) initiative, launched in 2019, tested support programs at three community college sites. Miami Dade College's Mission North Star program, which served 160 young parenting students and 202 children in the 2023-2024 academic year, helped students earn 59 degrees and credentials since 2021.
"Mission North Star gave me the financial resources I needed to afford college and connected me to programs that helped me grow as a parent," said Khalil Peters, a former program participant. "They've taught me how to manage my time and handle the pressures of being a full-time student, employee and father."
