1 in 10 College Students in Massachusetts are Homeless. More are Hungry. It’s Past Time We Recognize Their Reality

Hope Center Co-Hosts Congressional Briefing on Student Parents

Today the Hope Center is in Washington DC co-hosting a Congressional briefing about the importance of supporting the 4.3 million undergraduate students raising children.

The message in the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s new report is clear, “More Information Could Help Student Parents Access Additional Federal Student Aid.” The report finds:

  • Only 3,320 students at 85 colleges and universities receive subsidized childcare through the federal CCAMPIS program and there are long waiting lists for that support.
  • Little is known about the extent to which students access other key federal programs that help low-income families pay for child care.
  • While the “dependent care allowance” is available to help students access more federal student financial aid to pay for child care, most colleges do not publicize it and few students receive it.

Students with children are at higher risk of basic needs insecurity, partly because they face high child care costs and get too little support. The Hope Center is proud to partner with Achieving the Dream, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, Center for Law and Social Policy, Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and Rise to lift up this national concern.

During the coming year, we will be examining the child care challenges faced by students in our national #RealCollege survey, as well as those encountered by the faculty and staff who work on their campuses. Look for a special report from us in Spring 2020. We are also grateful to the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation for investing in our new efforts, and for supporting today’s briefing.