Data
show that approximately one in five undergraduates in the United States—over
3.1 million students—are pursuing higher education while they are parenting at least one
child or dependent. Student-parents have historically been overlooked and
underserved by postsecondary institutions, and they face challenges in
persisting to complete degrees when compared with their nonparenting peers.
ACE’s research and insights on student-parents in higher education help the
field consider how to best support those students’ success and promote
intergenerational social and economic mobility.