MCC Daily Tribune

IR's COVID-Era College-Wide Survey Results Section X: Student-Parents

As I mentioned in my Trib post on July 7, I would be sharing the results of IR's COVID-Era College-Wide Survey throughout July and August. The following is Section X of XI.

Note: Because I had a margin of error of +/-3%, the following results can be generalized to the larger population of MCC Student-Parents who were sent the survey.

One in five MCC students is a Student-Parent (student who is a parent).

Demographics

MCC Student-Parents are largely Students of Color, age 24 or older, female, and Pell-eligible. The Student-Parents who completed the COVID-Era College-Wide Survey were similar to MCC's Student-Parent population as a whole (i.e., 53% Students of Color, 96% age 24 or older, 83% female, 74% Pell-eligible).

Reasons for Attending MCC

When asked why they attend(ed) MCC, Student-Parents' responses were unique in that they often revolved around their families, for example:

"I am a single mother of two at the age of 29. I feel as if it is time for me to do something with my life for my children."
"Close to home since I work full time and live at home with wife and 2 sons."
"Showing my kids you can do anything if you put your mind to it."
"I graduated from high school 17 years ago as a teen mother. I have waited 17 years to enroll in college and pursue my dreams of earning a degree in psychology. MCC has afforded me the ability to do so online while staying at home to care for my children."

Effects of the Pandemic

In terms of how the pandemic has affected Student-Parents, the results show that as compared to Non-Parents, Student-Parents’ food security, employment, family support systems, and ability to consistently pay utilities have taken a more drastic turn for the worse. These results echo those of the 2020 #RealCollege Survey, the nation’s largest survey assessing basic needs of college students. The 2020 #RealCollege Survey showed that Student-Parents experience a higher rate of basic needs insecurities than Non-Parents. For example, nearly twice as many Student-Parents than Non-Parents reported not being able to pay their full utility bills and worrying that food would run out (Ascend at the Aspen Institute and The Jed Foundation, 2021, p.4).

Among just the MCC respondents who had been enrolled at MCC both prior to and during the pandemic, more Student-Parents than Non-Parents reported that their college plans changed and they had lost access to a quiet place to do their schoolwork. Surprisingly, however, Non-Parents reported a steeper drop in their ability to learn effectively and a higher level of physical/emotional illness during the pandemic.

Satisfaction with and Sense of Belonging at MCC

Echoing analyses I conducted years ago, 78% of Student-Parents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with MCC, as compared to 68% of Non-Parents.

Although fewer Student-Parents than Non-Parents reported that they’ve developed friendships with other students, more Student-Parents reported feeling pride, respect, and a sense of belonging at MCC. This latter piece actually contradicts the findings of other recent research showing that, nationally, Student-Parents feel like they don’t belong (Croom, Gorman, and Del Rio, 2021). It is possible that our Student-Parents’ sense of belonging is higher than the national average because MCC has intentionally embraced the Student-Parent movement and its principles of inclusion and connectedness.

References

Ascend at the Aspen Institute and The Jed Foundation (2021). Improving mental health of Student-Parents: A Framework For Higher Education. https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MentalHealthFramework_Final.pdf

Croom, D., Gorman, S., and Del Rio, L. (2021, May 26). Improving Mental Health of Student Parents: A Framework for Higher Education [Panel discussion]. Virtual.

Mary Ann DeMario
Research
08/11/2021