Welcome Debt Relief for Student Parents

Representing one in five college students, student parents graduate with

than students without children.

A recent survey from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that nearly one in four student parents said it was difficult to provide for their families due to student loan debt. As more than half of student parents are students of color – including the one-third of all Black students who are also parents – high student debt among parenting students is a racial equity issue.

That’s why last month’s announcement from the Biden Administration that it would be canceling up to $20,000 in student loan debt was welcome news. While many experts agree that this relief will change many lives, The Hope Center, The Education Trust and other partners have noted, solving the underlying college affordability crisis requires more action, especially for student parents.

Two new reports released in the last month shed new light on the catch-22 facing student parents - a college degree is essential for securing higher earnings to support their families, but the costs of attending college put this future out of reach for many students with children.

One report, an analysis released by The Education Trust and Generation Hope, outlined the affordability issues facing student parents:

• There is no state where a student parent can work 10 hours a week at the minimum wage and afford both tuition and child care.
• The out-of-pocket cost of attending a public college is 2-5x higher for student parents than it is for other students from low-income backgrounds who do not have children.
• Nationally, student parents would need to work approximately 52 hours per week on average to cover child care and tuition costs at a 4-year public college or university.

This research underscores how much we ask of student parents in order for them to persist and complete their studies. As the report authors note, “Student parents are working hard and making sacrifices to secure a better future for themselves and their children. Surely, we can make it easier for them to succeed.”

In that spirit, the report includes useful recommendations for federal and state policymakers – such as requiring data collection on parenting status and increasing funding for programs that help students pay for tuition and child care – as well as for institution leaders, including efforts to help student parents access child care subsidies and giving student parents priority enrollment in classes to ease scheduling conflicts.

Driven and determined to succeed for themselves and their families, student parents sit at the center of many systemic issues that, if addressed, would enable better futures for all learners. Many student parents will see debt relief as a result of last month’s announcement, and for some, this can mean the difference between graduating or receiving additional financial aid. But to support the success of current and future student parents, higher education must address tuition affordability and our systems more broadly must also transform the affordability of high-quality child care.