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A study by CUNY SPH researchers sheds light on the distinct financial, health and academic barriers that single parenting CUNY students face compared to their married- and non-parenting counterparts, and aims to inform targeted support mechanisms for higher education institutions to promote the health and degree attainment for all types parenting students.
For the study, published last week in the Journal of Urban Health, Doctoral Student Jenna Sanborn, along with Associate Professor Meredith Manze and Assistant Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dana Watnick, analyzed survey data from more than 2,100 CUNY students, including 142 single parents and 119 married or cohabiting parents asking about experiences with academics, finances and health. The team found that, compared to non-parents, single parents were almost twice as likely to carry debt and five times as likely to rely on food assistance. Compared to their married peers, single parents were almost three times as likely to have debt and housing instability, and were more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity, despite working more hours. They also had lower GPAs compared to both groups. The results highlight the unique challenges faced by single-parenting students in an urban setting and the importance of addressing them to support their academic success.
Given these findings, the authors argue that the exceptional needs of single-parenting students warrant financial, academic, health, and social supports such as affordable, quality child care; housing; tuition coverage; and increased financial aid. Offering targeted scholarships to parenting students with less social support and financial stability, perhaps based on family size and income, may help alleviate tuition costs.
“Few studies have looked at the financial and academic experiences of parenting students in college, often overlooking their diversity,” says Sanborn. “We hope that this study can uncover the unique challenges faced by single parents, who may lack adequate support compared to their peers. We encourage higher education institutions to consider tailored financial and academic support for single-parents to unlock their full potential.”
