Blog28 July 2025
Some underrepresented student groups are more widely recognised than others – such as students from low-income households, care-experienced students, mature learners, students with disabilities, and those from an ethnic minority background. These groups are, in many cases, visible within institutional strategies, particularly in access and participation plans. However, one group that remains largely overlooked in policy and practice is students with parental responsibilities.
So, who are student parents? According to the recent UCAS entry application deadline data, student parents are predominantly women, often from disadvantaged backgrounds or low-participation areas, and typically over the age of 25. Black students are overrepresented among the older (25+) age brackets. Many student parents also study locally and enter higher education through non-traditional pathways.
The challenge in tracking student parents
Until the 2022-23 cycle, there was no clear data on how many student parents were enrolled in higher education in England. To address this gap, UCAS introduced a non-mandatory question in 2023, giving applicants the option to disclose parenting responsibilities. That year, 33,855 applicants – 5.6% of the total 599,930 – identified as parents.
Despite this progress, it remains unclear how student parents fare in terms of retention, attainment and progression. While some providers may collect this data internally, there is no standardised requirement to report it. Crucially, providers are not required by HESA to collect or submit data on student parents, leaving them invisible in national datasets despite their inclusion in the equality of opportunity risk register.
The double life of student parents
Being a student is hard. Being a parent is demanding. Both can be rewarding, but combining them can bring about a unique set of pressures that may not always be fully recognised by academic institutions or wider society. Recent research from the University of Chester suggests that student parents can start university with mixed or negative feelings, often shaped by concerns about how to manage both their studies and parenting responsibilities.
Additionally, students face the following issues:
- Time poverty: Student parents can face tension between study commitments and caregiving duties, with limited time requiring careful management to fulfil commitments to work, family and study.
- Affordable childcare and financial strain: Childcare is expensive, and while subsidies such as the means-tested Childcare Grant exist, many student parents are ineligible for this support. Additionally, childcare-specific financial support from providers is limited. Many universities offer general hardship funds but eligibility varies. Government schemes, such as the Parents Learning Allowance, are also means-tested but exclude part-time students, while others, like the NHS Learning Support Fund, have eligibility restrictions based on the age of the dependent.
- Emotional fatigue: Stress, anxiety, and guilt are themes that have been expressed among student parents, as juggling parenting, studying and employment can lead to burnout and a sense of isolation from both academic and social life.
- Structural academic obstacles. Higher education systems are often not designed with parenting students in mind. Challenges include late availability of timetables, limited family-friendly accommodation, strict attendance rules, and poor communication about available support and guidance. These barriers can limit how student parents engage with their courses, often impacting their academic performance.
A call to action
Considering all the issues above, it’s clear we can do more to support student parents. For example, more personalised support services could prove beneficial. There are examples of emerging practice which could be subject to further evaluation; for example online workshops and activities led by trained peer mentors (Todd, 2022) .
Improving data collection and tracking is also essential. Better data would allow for more tailored support and allow providers to more accurately track outcomes. While students have the option to disclose parental responsibilities in their UCAS application, not all do at this stage. Universities could re-ask about parental status at enrollment and again at the start of each academic year. Providers could also offer a confidential way for students to update their parental status during the academic year.
Students with parental responsibilities are a determined group, often motivated not just by personal ambition but by a desire to create better futures for their families. For many, pursuing a higher education qualification is seen as a long-term investment, even if – in the short term – it means feeling like they’re falling short of being the ‘ideal parent’.
Yet, despite their commitment and presence, student parents remain under-supported in higher education. This is evident in their near-invisibility within policy frameworks, campus culture, and institutional planning. One might ask: when was the last time you saw a student with their child on campus?
When we think about increasing workforce participation and upskilling the population, we should be including how we can support student parents. Their ability to access, succeed in, and complete their studies is not just a personal victory – it’s a national asset. It’s time institutions recognised this, and responded accordingly with policies, resources, and cultural change needed to ensure student parents are no longer an after thought, but an integral part of the sector’s future.