The Center Advocates for Student Parents in COVID-19 Relief

Almost one in four students on today’s college campuses is not only a student, but also a parent. Like many other students, parents who are postsecondary students themselves are currently dealing with the closing of colleges and universities,¹ rapid relocation from on-campus housing,² transitions to remote instruction,³ and job losses.⁴ However, student parents are also grappling with child care and school closures,⁵ among other crises, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As the effects of the pandemic reverberate throughout the country, student parents’ vulnerabilities are rising to new heights, threatening their ability to keep their families healthy and secure on top of continuing their studies. As you continue to address the urgent needs of this country, we urge Congress to consider our recommendations to these challenges in the next COVID-19 relief package.

1. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-not-just-double-duty-its-triple-duty-student-parents-prepare-to-juggle-college-work-and-childcare-this-fall-11596548732
2. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/coronavirus-closed-colleges-sent-students-home-some-them-have-nowhere-ncna1170866
3. https://iwpr.org/iwpr-issues/student-parent-success-initiative/student-parents-in-the-covid-19-pandemic-heightened-need-the-imperative-for-strengthened-support-2/
4. https://www.imaginablefutures.com/learnings/coronavirus-scare-has-exposed-cracks-our-systems/
5. https://hope4college.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2019_ParentingStudentsReport.pdf

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