Theresa Anderson’s Post

It was great to chat with some members of the Trellis Strategies research team about the results from their latest financial wellness survey, and particularly to be able to focus on their student parent findings. Trellis' research found that parenting students are much more likely to face financial barriers to success in college. As a result, student parents are less likely to succeed, even though they are equally academically able compared to their peers who are going to college without having to juggle taking care of kids on top of their studies and job responsibilities. More in Forbes. Please read and share #highereducation #highered #studentparents #Parenitngstudents #Higheredleadership #highereducationleadership https://lnkd.in/e5HVWi2H

Financial insecurity is a major barrier to completing higher education, especially for minority and female students. This is so much more than just access to education - it's also about sustaining it. "A recent study from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation found these groups of students were most likely to stop out of college due to emotional stress, mental health concerns and expenses." Inside Higher Ed The time for actionable change is now. https://lnkd.in/ggUQMRNE #highered #edtech #onlinelearning #educationforall #equitableeducation #parentstudents #studentsuccess #studentsupport #accesstoeducation #educationequality #inclusiveeducation #diversityineducation #equaleducation #bridgingthegap #empowerstudents #educationequity #accesstoopportunity

"Non Academic Challenges Present The Greatest Barriers To Student Parent’s Success." I can attest to the results of this survey through my own lived experience. Looking back, I can hardly fathom how I completed my bachelor's degree in four years while raising a child and working. Admittedly, it was not only challenging but often grueling. If there were then what we now commonly refer to as wraparound services, I was not aware of it. Supporting students to address barriers such as childcare and transportation pays dividends in the long run. Investments in programs such as the Career Pathways Initiative and Upskill NWA have a positive ROI, as lower-income student parents can break the cycle of poverty by obtaining their education. This not only benefits the student parents and their children but also the community, city, and state through their future employment, tax revenue, and capacity for community service and engagement.

"Roughly one-in-five college students today are also parents...They are also more likely to struggle with food and housing security and more likely to take on loans. These students are also more likely to have higher GPAs, while being more likely to face educational disruption. Generation Hope estimates that 52% of undergraduate student parents leave school without a degree in six years, compared to their non-parenting counterparts at 32%." https://lnkd.in/gCaBiqww #HigherEducation #StudentParents #CollegeSuccess #EducationEquity #FoodSecurity #HousingSecurity #StudentLoans #AcademicAchievement #EducationalDisruption #GenerationHope #UndergraduateSuccess #EduCredServices #StudentSupport #DegreeCompletion #ParentingStudents

“Success in education requires high-quality instruction, but that alone is not enough, he says. What matters when it comes to changing students’ lives is sustained quality. The sum is greater than the parts. A consequence: Teachers alone, while crucial, can’t control all the factors." How Much Does Family Income Matter for Student Outcomes? https://lnkd.in/g8Q8a_YD #EducationalEquity #StudentSuccess #StudentAgency

Three recent national surveys have pinpointed student anxiety as the foremost obstacle in their academic endeavors, in addition to being the most significant risk factor to their continued enrollment. The top 3 concerns students cite are emotional stress, personal mental health issues, and affordability of higher education. The report findings highlight the significant impact of student mental health and financial stability on enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. The results also underscore the critical role of financial assistance in retaining vulnerable students. These factors are often related to each other and affect academic performance. Higher education leaders need to look into this further and provide resources to address the connections between financial wellness, mental health, and student success while enrolled and post enrollment. #mentalhealth #studentanxiety #bekind #collegeaffordability #studentsuccess #MadenbergCollegeConsulting #LoveTheJourneyToCollege @Madenberg College Consulting @Love the Journey to College Inside Higher Ed           https://lnkd.in/gWdWJgf7

News flash 🚨 Recruiting parents and supporting student-parent retention is good for colleges, especially in this era of declining admissions. There are millions of parents who have not completed a college degree and they are all potential students! Also, love this asset framing from Teresa Eckrich Sommer: "We think of kids as a barrier to student success. We have to turn that on its head. Kids are a primary motivator to student success." That's a huge part of my motivation in this work! https://lnkd.in/eqPaUTZm

This report highlights the importance of two-generation (2Gen) programs, which integrate adult and child education to foster mutual success. The decline in student parents, attributed to various factors such as economic changes and college costs, underscores the critical need for support. Student parents, predominantly women of color, face higher debt but achieve higher GPAs, showcasing their resilience. Promoting their success through holistic support can enhance educational equity and attainment for generations.

Trellis Strategies is excited to announce the release of the Fall 2023 Student Financial Wellness Survey report. We are thankful to the more than 62,000 students who took the time to complete the survey and the 142 institutions across the country that participated.   Key findings include: Mental Health Concerns: Within the two weeks prior to the survey, 32% of participants reported symptoms indicative of major depressive disorder, while 43% experienced generalized anxiety disorder. Alarmingly, 27% suffered from both conditions simultaneously. Basic Needs Insecurity: Over the last year, 58% of students faced challenges such as food insecurity, housing instability, or homelessness—9% endured all three hardships concurrently. Student Employment: Among the respondents, 68% were employed while studying. Notably, 38% identified more as “workers who attend school” rather than “students who work part-time”, a distinction that has profound implications for institutional policies and student support services.    Download the report: https://rb.gy/2rysde   Download the infographic: https://rb.gy/6qhgi1

Parent involvement is increasing because college costs are increasing. At least that’s what I told people 7+ years ago when we started CampusESP. Higher costs = more student debt = more family debt. Why *wouldn't* parents be involved? Today we serve close to 400 colleges. The stakes feel higher. Our mission of student success is always there, but as our team grows, it’s helpful to reinforce that mission. The best way to do that is to hear from our customers. Yesterday, we had Melody Ferguson, M.Ed. from Pacific Lutheran University and Karli Greenfield, MBA from Truett McConnell University join our quarterly “company Div/Dev” session to talk about financing higher education. It was inspiring. Our team left energized. In case you’re interested, the presentation can be accessed here--> https://lnkd.in/eQXfDUNa However, I thought it would be helpful to share some of Karli’s and Melody’s suggestions from the discussion: - Many parents don’t know what they don’t know (especially at a school like PLU that supports a student population that is 46% first-gen). Schools can help by sending financial literacy support. Families may also require support positioning themselves for state funding options. - You may not have the resources to support 1:1 parent outreach. Creating targeted comm flows (or using CampusESP communities) can help provide personalized resources to the families that need it most. What do first-gen families need to know? What about 1st and 2nd gen US citizens? First time FAFSA filers? - Overcommunicate. “No parent complains about getting too much communication”, they appreciate the support. Of course, I’m proud that CampusESP plays even a small part in any element of student success. But all we’re really doing is amplifying the ideas and leaders from our amazing customer community. Thank you again Karli and Melody! 😍 ***CampusESP has a monthly newsletter where we spotlight customer successes and parent engagement innovations. You can sign up here--> https://lnkd.in/ejGEbTVy ***Thank you to our amazing team for organizing the session (that's you Madhavi Mooljee, Mira Gandhi, Brianne Alvarez, Brooke Sterneck, and Alex Otero) and to Tyler Evans Tucky, Amy Weiss, and Mauricio Novelo for sharing their perspectives and experiences!