College Students with Children National and Regional Profiles Informing policy. Inspiring change. Improving lives. College Students with Children: National and Regional Profiles January 2017 Elizabeth Noll, Ph.D., Lindsey Reichlin, M.A., and Barbara Gault, Ph.D. ii About this Report Board of Directors Holly Fechner, Chair This report provides a national and regional profile of Covington & Burling LLP undergraduate college students who are raising Lorretta Johnson, Vice Chair dependent children. Drawing on original analysis of American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO national postsecondary education data, it quantifies the William Baer, Secretary growth in the student parent population over time, both Bloomingdale's (former) nationally and regionally, and describes trends in student Sylphiel Yip, Treasurer parents’ economic status, their declining access to on- INTL FCStone Financial Inc. campus child care across regions, and the demands on Martha Darling their time while enrolled, in the context of their low Boeing (retired) rates of college attainment. This report is part of a Cindy Estrada United Automobile, Aerospace, and broader project on independent student success funded Agriculture Implement Workers of America, by the Lumina Foundation. AFL-CIO About the Institute for Ellen Karp Anerca International Inc. Women’s Policy Research Katherine Kimpel Shattering the Ceiling IWPR conducts rigorous research and disseminates its Kai-yan Lee Vanke findings to address the needs of women, promote public Esmeralda O. Lyn dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and Worldwide Capital Advisory Partners LLC societies. IWPR works with policymakers, scholars, and William Rodgers public interest groups to design, execute, and Rutgers University disseminate research that illuminates economic and Elizabeth Shuler social policy issues affecting women and their families, AFL-CIO and to build a network of individuals and organizations Marci Sternheim that conduct and use women-oriented policy research. Sternheim Consulting The Institute’s work is supported by foundation grants, Sheila Wellington government grants and contracts, donations from NYU/Stern School of Business, emerita individuals, and contributions from organizations and Marcia Worthing corporations. IWPR is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt New York, NY organization that also works in affiliation with the Cathy Zoi SunEdison Frontier Power women’s studies and public policy and public Leslie Platt Zolov administration programs at The George Washington Pfizer University. Heidi Hartmann, President Acknowledgements Institute for Women’s Policy Research Barbara Gault, Vice President The authors are grateful to David Croom, Strategy Institute for Women’s Policy Research Officer, and Julie Peller, Strategy Director, from the Lumina Foundation for their support for and input on Institute for Women’s Policy Research this project. The authors would also like to express their IWPR #C451, January 2017 © Copyright 2017 by the Institute for appreciation for research assistance provided by Melanie Women's Policy Research Kruvelis, Mariam K. Chamberlain Fellow, and Mary Sykes, Research Program Associate. Institute for Women’s Policy Research 1200 18th Street NW, Siuiii te 301 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: 202/785.5100 Fax: 202/833.4362 www.iwpr.org Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 The Number of Parents in College is Growing in All Regions and Institution Types ............ 1 The Southwest and Plains Regions have the Highest Shares and Growth of Student Parents ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Numbers of Student Parents Increased across Institution Types ........................................ 3 Women College Students are Much More Likely to be Raising Children than Men, and a Large Share are Single Mothers .............................................................................................. 4 Student Parents have Especially Low Rates of Degree Attainment ..................................... 6 Student Parents have Especially Limited Financial Resources to Devote to College ........ 7 Student Parents are Much More Likely than Those without Children to Have an Expected Family Contribution of Zero ................................................................................... 7 Student Parents have High Levels of Unmet Financial Need ............................................. 9 Student Parents Face Substantial Time Demands ............................................................... 10 Parents Work a Significant Number of Hours while Pursuing College .............................. 11 Student Parents Spend Significant Time Caring for Young Children ............................... 12 Availability of On-Campus Child Care Declining while Student Parent Population Grows ................................................................................................................................................ 12 Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................... 14 List of Figures and Tables Figures Figure 1. Increase in the Number of Student Parents by Institution Type, 2004-2012. ......... 4 Figure 2. Share of Women Students that are Parents by Race/Ethnicity and Region, 2011-12. .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Share of Students who Enrolled in 2003-04 and Attained a Degree or Certificate by 2008-09 at All Institutions, by Dependency, Parent, and Marital Status. ......................... 7 Figure 4. Trends in the Share of Students with $0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by Parent and Dependency Status, 2004-12. ................................................................................ 9 Figure 5. Average Unmet Need among Students by Dependency and Parent Status, 2011-12, in 2012 Dollars. ............................................................................................................. 10 Figure 6. Trend in the Share of Students Working 30 or More Hours per Week by Dependency and Parent Status, 2004-12. .............................................................................. 11 iv Tables Table 1. Number and Share of Students Who Are Parents by Region, 2011-12, and Increase in Number of Students who are Parents, 2004-12. ................................................... 2 Table 2. Gender Distribution and Family Status of Student Parents by Region, 2011-12. ... 5 Table 3. Share of Students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 by Student Parent Status and Region, 2011-12. ........................................................................................... 8 Table 4. Percent Change in Number of Student Parents and Number of Institutions with On-Campus Child Care by Region, 2004-12. ......................................................................... 13 Appendix Table A.1. Regional Classifications from the National Center for Education Statistics. .... 15 Table B.1. Share of Students who are Parents by Region, 2004-12. ..................................... 16 Table C.1. Share of Students who are Parents by Institution Type and Region, 2011-12. . 17 Table D.1. Share of Students who are Parents by Gender, Race/Ethnicity and Region, 2011-12. ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Table E.1. Share of Students with $0 EFC by Dependency and Parent Status, 2004-12. .. 19 Table E.2. Percent Change in Share of Students with a $0 EFC by Dependency Status, Parent Status, and Region, 2004-12. ........................................................................................ 20 Table F.1. Average Amount of Unmet Need, and Increase in Unmet Need by Parent and Dependency Status, 2004-12, in 2012 Dollars. ................................................................ 21 Table F.2. Average Amount of Unmet Need by Dependency Status, Parent Status, and Region, 2011-12, in 2012 Dollars. ............................................................................................... 22 Table G.1. Share of Students who Work 30 or More Hours per Week by Dependency Status, Parent Status and Region, 2011-12. ............................................................................. 23 Figure H.1. Share of Two- and Public Four-Year Institutions with Campus Child Care Centers, 2002-2015 ..................................................................................................................... 24 v Introduction The profile of the typical college student has changed from the 18-21 year old, recent high school graduate, to include a greater proportion of older, financially independent students with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and economic needs (CLASP 2015; Gault, Reichlin, and Román 2014; U.S. Department of Education 2015a; U.S. Department of Education 2015b). Among the growing numbers of undergraduates who are working, older, independent, enrolled part-time, or living off campus, nearly five million undergraduate students, comprising 26 percent of the total college population, are also parents of dependent children (CLASP 2015; Gault et al. 2014; U.S. Department of Education 2015a). Parenting has significant implications for students’ ability to attain degrees and credentials. Educational achievement for students with children benefits the students themselves and the families they are raising. Increasing parents’ educational attainment yields positive short and long-term gains, including higher earnings (Baum, Ma, and Payea 2013; Hartmann and Hayes 2013), greater access to resources, greater involvement in their children’s education, and greater likelihood of their child pursuing college (Attewell et al. 2007; Magnuson 2007). As the world of higher education works to increase rates of degree attainment among U.S. adults, it is important to acknowledge and address the unique time-related, financial, and logistical challenges facing students with caregiving responsibilities. This report analyzes trends in regional demographic characteristics, financial need, work rates, completion rates, and child care access among the student parent population compared with other groups of students.1 It finds that, while all student parents face significant challenges in their pursuit of a higher education, the extent of those challenges vary depending on multiple factors, including the geographic location of institutions, and students’ racial/ethnic backgrounds and marital status. The report recommends that colleges and universities, as well as policy makers, design policies and programs to help student parents manage their significant family, financial, and time demands while in college. The Number of Parents in College is Growing in All Regions and Institution Types The number of student parents in the United States climbed by 1.1 million, or 30 percent—from 3.7 million in 2004 to 4.8 million in 2012 (the most recent eight-year period for which national data are available; Figure 1). Nationally, student parents make up 26 percent of the total undergraduate student body, and the regional shares of students that are parents vary widely from 18 percent in New England to 35 percent in the Southwest (Table 1). 1 This report analyzes data from three U.S. Department of Education postsecondary datasets: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), and the Beginning Postsecondary Student Survey (BPS). Analysis is conducted on a regional level (rather than on a state level) because regions are the smallest unit of analysis deemed representative by NPSAS sampling methodology; NPSAS does not provide data on institution state (i.e. the state in which students are enrolled). Regional definitions can be found in Appendix Table A.1. The Southwest and Plains Regions have the Highest Shares and Growth of Student Parents All regions experienced an increase in their student parent population over the eight-year period from 2004-12 (Table 1) with growth ranging from nearly 5 percent in the Far West region to 65 percent in the Southwest region. States in the Plains and the Rocky Mountain regions saw their student parent populations grow significantly in that time frame, with growth rates of 61 percent and 58 percent respectively (Table 1). In addition, nationally and in five of eight regions, the share of students that are parents as a proportion of the total student population grew during the same time frame (Appendix Table B.1). Table 1. Number and Share of Students Who Are Parents by Region, 2011-12, and Increase in Number of Students who are Parents, 2004- 12. Percent Share of Number of Increase in Students Student Number of Region that are Parents, Student Parents, 2012 Parents 2012 2004-12 New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 145,739 17.8% 20.3% Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA) 512,137 19.6% 18.2% Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 721,755 25.9% 21.8% Plains (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 452,408 30.7% 61.4% Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) 1,188,083 27.0% 25.6% Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX) 838,583 33.7% 65.0% Rocky Mountains (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY) 205,214 27.9% 58.2% Far West (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA) 718,858 21.8% 4.7% All regions 4,816,226 25.9% 30.2% Note: Total for all regions will not add to the sum of the regional subcategories due to rounding. Source: IWPR analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12); Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall Enrollment 2003-04 and 2011-12. 2 Numbers of Student Parents Increased across Institution Types The concentration of student parents differs by institution type, both nationally and regionally. Public two-year student parent enrollment grew by 9 percent from 2004-12, and community colleges enroll the largest share of student parents: nearly half of all student parents (45 percent), or approximately 2.1 Community colleges enroll the million students, attend public two-year institutions, largest share of student parents: representing 30 percent of the total community college nearly half of all student parents student body (Figure 1; IWPR 2016a). Four-year (45 percent), or approximately 2.1 institutions saw an increase of 18 percent in student parent enrollment over the same period; the 1.1 million million students, attend public student parents enrolled at four-year institutions in two-year institutions, representing 2012 comprise 23 percent of the total student parent 30 percent of the total population (including public and private not-for-profit community college student body. institutions; Figure 1; IWPR 2016a). For-profit colleges, which enroll a similar number of student parents to four-year institutions (roughly 1.2 million; Figure 1), saw the most dramatic increase in student parent enrollment from 2004-12, with a growth of 138 percent (Figure 1; IWPR 2016a). As of 2012, half of the total for-profit student body was made up of students who were also parents (Gault et al. 2014). 3 Figure 1. Increase in the Number of Student Parents by Institution Type, 2004-2012. 5,000,000 4,816,226 4,000,000 3,896,140 3,700,075 3,000,000 1,916,467 2,143,506 2,000,000 1,965,418 1,191,831 903,377 1,000,000 942,311 1,110,188 501,761 774,811 290,585 301,479 370,689 0 2004 2008 2012 All institutions Community colleges Four-year institutions For-profit institutions Other Notes: Community colleges include all public two-year institutions. Four-year institutions include all public and private nonprofit undergraduate institutions. For-profit institutions include all for-profit colleges, less than two years and above. Other includes public less than two-year institutions, private nonprofit less than four-year institutions, and students who attended more than one institution. All institutions include all public and private institutions, and students attending more than one school. Total for all institutions will not add to the sum of the institutional subcategories due to rounding. Source: IWPR analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2003-04 (NPSAS:04); 2007-08 (NPSAS:08); 2011-12 (NPSAS:12), and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Institutional Characteristics and Fall Enrollment 2003-04, 2007-08, 2011-12. Regionally, the share of student parents enrolled at community colleges ranges from one-quarter student body in the Far West, to over one-third of two-year students (35 percent) in the Southeast. Among public and private four-year institutions, the New England region enrolls the lowest share of students who are parents (8 percent), compared with a high of 23 percent in the Rocky Mountain states (Appendix Table C.1). Women College Students are Much More Likely to be Raising Children than Men, and a Large Share are Single Mothers Nearly a third of all undergraduate women are mothers, and the majority of those are single mothers (roughly 2 million women, or 60 percent of all student mothers, are single mothers; Gault et al. 2014; 4 IWPR 2016a). Single mothers in college must balance the multiple responsibilities of school, parenthood, and often also employment, without the support of a spouse or partner. As seen in Table 2, mothers in the Great Lakes and Southeast regions are the most likely to be raising children on their own—64 percent and 62 percent of mothers in college in those regions, respectively, are single. In contrast, the Rocky Mountains states have the smallest share of student mothers that are single; however, they still make up half of all college-going mothers in that region (Table 2). Table 2. Gender Distribution and Family Status of Student Parents by Region, 2011-12. Gender of Parents Gender of Single Parents Single Single Region All Mothers All Fathers Mothers Fathers Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, 71.1% 28.9% 63.5% 41.2% WI) Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, 72.1% 27.9% 62.2% 36.5% WV) Plains (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, 70.9% 29.1% 59.4% 36.2% ND, SD) Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX) 72.1% 27.9% 59.2% 35.4% Mid East (DE, DC, MD, NJ, 70.6% 29.4% 58.5% 38.1% NY, PA) Far West (AK, CA, HI, NV, 70.5% 29.5% 57.9% 48.4% OR, WA) New England (CT, ME, MA, 68.8% 31.2% 55.6% 43.2% NH, RI, VT) Rocky Mountains (CO, ID, 63.3% 36.7% 50.1% 19.2% MT, UT, WY) All regions 71.0% 29.0% 59.9% 38.1% Source: IWPR analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12). Rates of motherhood among college students vary substantially by race/ethnicity (Figure 2; Appendix Table D.1). Black women are disproportionately likely to be Nearly half of all Black mothers while in college: nearly half of all Black women women undergraduate undergraduate students are raising dependent children, compared with 29 percent of White women and one-quarter of students are raising Black men (though Black men are the most likely group of dependent children, male students to be fathers; Figure 2; IWPR 2016a). compared with 29 percent Approximately two-in-five American Indian or Alaska Native of White women and one- women and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander women are quarter of Black men. raising dependent children while in college (41 percent and 39 percent, respectively; Appendix Table D.1). The Plains region has the highest share of Black, Hispanic, 5