Report Takes a Closer Look at California Competes’ New Research
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education covered Clarifying the True Cost of College for Student Parents, released this month by California Competes. Reporter Sarah Wood interviewed California Competes Executive Director Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez and other staff members about the findings.
If we can’t give student parents a clear sense of what college is going to cost, we are just setting them up to fail.
Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez
The brief explores why tools designed to help students budget for college perpetuate affordability issues for student parents. To adequately plan for college, student parents need accurate estimates of their total cost, including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation, as well as the additional expenses related to parenting. Colleges and universities across the country have adopted net price calculators to help students get a better idea of what to expect. However, these estimates fail to transparently account for the additional costs associated with parenting for low-income individuals.
“If we can’t give student parents a clear sense of what college is going to cost, we are just setting them up to fail,” Dr. Jez told Wood.
