Why We Invested
The COVID-19 global pandemic is causing unprecedented disruption to the lives of US families, the economy, and the global community more broadly. With jobs increasingly at risk, children unable to attend child care or school, student parents face even greater obstacles to postsecondary success than before. Now, more than ever, student parents need policy leaders who understand their specific challenges, are able to identify effective solutions, and can advocate effectively for these solutions. We are supporting HLA’s efforts to 1) Deepen partnership with key stakeholders in order to develop and advance policy solutions for student parents; and 2) Raise awareness of the stories and needs of student parents through strategic communications efforts.
Higher Learning Advocates is a bipartisan nonprofit that advocates for solutions to break down systemic barriers and support the success of today’s students in their pursuit of higher education. I’m inspired to do our work by those students—student parents, adult students, low-income and first-generation students, among many others—who are pursuing higher learning for themselves and who deserve a system that works for them.