AR 62: Relative to Student Parent Month.

WHEREAS, California is home to approximately 300,000 undergraduate student parents — comprising over 12 percent of undergraduate students in the state — along with more than 100,000 graduate student parents; and

WHEREAS, these student parents are raising over half a million children — making up 6 percent of all children in California and exceeding the total number of children in over 15 states; and

WHEREAS, student parents represent diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds and are present across urban, suburban, rural, coastal, and inland areas; and

WHEREAS, student parents tend to have higher grade point averages than their peers, yet fewer than 40 percent acquire a degree or credential within six years — highlighting the need for college and state investments and targeted resources for this student population; and

WHEREAS, student parents pay an annual additional cost of attendance of $7,592 more per child than nonparenting students attending college, once childcare and food costs are explicitly included; and

WHEREAS, student parents often report feeling disconnected, invisible, and unwelcome when their campuses do not meet their unique needs, such as child care, family housing, and flexible scheduling and attendance policies; and

WHEREAS, increasing the educational attainment level of the state’s 400,000 student parents will have a multiplier effect on their more than 530,000 children, since parental education level has been linked to the academic and economic success of their children; and

WHEREAS, California has demonstrated leadership in advancing policies to better serve student parents, including the passage of Assembly Bill 2881 in 2022, the first law in the nation that requires public colleges and universities to provide priority registration for student parents, aiming to remove barriers by alleviating scheduling conflicts; and

WHEREAS, California continues to strengthen these supports, including through the passage in 2024 of Assembly Bill 2458, the GAINS for Student Parents Act, which helps student parents afford, enroll in, and complete their higher education journeys by requiring updated cost of attendance policies that account for dependent care expenses and requiring institutional student parent data collection and reporting; and

WHEREAS, the United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating September 2021 as National Student Parent Month — a national celebration of student parents that acknowledges their sacrifices and contributions — and has recognized National Student Parent Month every September since; and

WHEREAS, states, institutions, community organizations, and students throughout the country commemorate National Student Parent Month; and

WHEREAS, designating September as Student Parent Month in California will not only acknowledge current student parents, but also serve as a call to recognize the state’s 3.9 million parents without a college degree and the parents who dropped out of college because they did not have the support they needed; and

WHEREAS, designating September as Student Parent Month in California will also serve as a call to transform colleges and universities into student parent-serving institutions, allowing the state to reach the parents without a degree and supporting the state’s goal of 70 percent postsecondary education attainment by 2030; and

WHEREAS, designating September as Student Parent Month in California will be a step towards ensuring this student population receives the visibility, recognition, resources, and support it deserves; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California,That the Assembly recognizes the month of September as Student Parent Month, and encourages policymakers, institutions of higher education, higher education leaders, and communities to honor and support student parents in creating brighter futures for themselves and their families; and be it further

Resolved,That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.