Navigating Scholarship and Parenthood: Supporting Young Student Parents in Higher Education

Approximately 1 in 5 college undergraduates is also a parent.

This report summarizes JBA’s evaluation of the Washington, DC, region Scholar Program in collaboration with Generation Hope, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and an advisory panel of Scholars. The resulting mixed-methods study design focused on participant experiences and outcomes across three domains: progress toward graduation, supportive relationships, and parenting responsibilities.

Among the Scholars surveyed and interviewed:

• Eighty-seven percent listed their children as a key motivating factor in their journey toward academic success.
• Nearly a third (31 percent) were employed full time, and an additional 30 percent were employed part time.
• Nearly half (46 percent) maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
• Eighty-three percent had declared a major, and 62 percent knew how many credits they needed to graduate.
• Only 14 percent reported feeling not at all connected to other parents after participation, compared to 61 percent who answered the question about pre-participation.
• Eighty-seven percent planned to re-enroll in school the following semester, and another 8 percent were scheduled to graduate.

Other results point to the benefits of participating in the program. For example, Scholars expressed that Mentor support helped them feel confident academically; those who engaged with their Mentors daily or weekly scored significantly higher across multiple measures of social support compared to those with less frequent interactions.