Despite representing roughly one quarter of the nation’s undergraduate students and nearly one third of graduate and professional students, pregnant and parenting students are among the least visible populations in higher education. The Student Parent HELP Center (SPHC) at UMN aims to change that by elevating the population as well as the unique challenges pregnant and parenting students may face throughout their time in college.
The SPHC is one of the longest standing university-based support programs for parenting students, initially established in 1967 to support low-income students and transitioning to exclusively serving student parents in 1984. For 40 years, the SPHC has provided a spectrum of targeted programming for pregnant and parenting students at all degree levels, including child care assistance grants, individualized consultation on resources and referrals, and opportunities for community building through family-friendly events throughout the academic year.
There is ample evidence that personalized support and services from the SPHC make a positive difference in the lives of student parents. A 2020 evaluation of the SPHC at UMN showed undergraduate student parents who interact with center staff and access its programs are significantly more likely to graduate, remain enrolled continuously, and have a higher cumulative grade point average than student parents who completed SPHC intake but never used its services. In addition, when compared to the national average for all student parents, students who accessed services at SPHC have significantly higher graduation rates.
The SPHC hosted an open house earlier this month to celebrate and welcome current SPHC students and new transfer student parents at UMN. Students had the chance to meet fellow pregnant and parenting students and staff, connect with SPHC alumni, and enjoy lunch outdoors while creating custom buttons that display their parenting status.
Parenting status may not always come up in classroom conversations, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t. “We encourage all staff and faculty to ask students about parenting status,” said SPHC Program Director, Susan Warfield, MSW, LICSW. “Simply asking the question opens the door for conversations with pregnant and parenting students about their unique needs, which can help further develop their sense of belonging.”
For those not sure where to start, the SPHC is available to consult with faculty and staff about best practices for supporting parenting students. Reach out via email or learn more here.