Exploring the Academic and Parental Experiences of Community College Student Parents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: College-Going Experiences During the First and Second Year: Student Parents and First-Generation Students

Abstract

This paper centers on the experiences of 30 community college student parents sharing their academic and parental experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using McLeroy’s (1988) socio-ecological model, the findings highlight that student-parents experienced both educational and parental benefits of online learning yet faced unexpected hardships. We provide recommendations for practices and policies to support student parents.

Authors

• Adrian H. Huerta, University of Southern California

• Edgar Fidel Lopez, California State University - Northridge

• Gabriela Torres, University of Southern California

• Adriana Jaramillo Castillo, University of California - Los Angeles