States including Maryland, Virginia, New Mexico, Georgia, and Oregon are implementing measures to support college students who are also parents. These actions include collecting data on parenting students and reforming child care subsidy programs.

Maryland, Virginia, and New Mexico are gathering data regarding students who are parents. Georgia and Oregon have established connections between child care access and postsecondary persistence, leading to reforms in their subsidy programs.

Nearly one in five college students in the U.S. are raising children while pursuing a degree, totaling approximately three million students. Only 18% of student parents in the U.S. earn a degree within six years.

Research from the Institute for Women's Policy Research found a difference in outcomes for community college student parents with access to on-campus child care. These students were nearly three times more likely to graduate or transfer to a four-year institution within three years compared to those without access. Specifically, 41% of community college student parents with on-campus child care completed their degree or transferred within three years, while 15% of those without access achieved the same.

A 2026 survey by New America and Trellis Strategies indicated that housing instability affects caregiving students. Nearly one-third of caregiving students who moved multiple times in a single year did so due to inability to afford rent, and almost one-quarter moved because their housing was unsafe. The survey also found that 73% of caregiving students were unaware of their ability to request additional financial assistance from their institutions, and 3% who did ask received it. Almost 70% of student parents in the U.S. work while enrolled in college. Twelve million parents in the U.S. have some college education but no degree.

Seven in 10 U.S. employers report difficulty finding the talent they need.