The Black Student Parent Experience: An Exploration of Institutional Practices of Student Parent Servingness (Stage 2, 11:50 AM)

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education Research Ed-Talk (Stage 2)

Abstract

Black student parents remain underexamined in higher education. While HBCUs are widely recognized for graduating significant numbers of Black students, little is known about the student parents within these racially aligned spaces. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and meaning of Black student parents at a mid-Atlantic HBCU, examined “student parent servingness” through institutional programs, policies, and practices, and evaluated academic, belonging, development, and engagement outcomes. Findings revealed that student parents experienced resilience, empowerment, visibility and intergenerational uplift. Communal care, flexibility and individualized support facilitated success, while limited formal policies created strain. Student parents leveraged adaptive strategies, relationships, and specialized programming to persist. This study advances student parent servingness as a framework for equity-centered institutional practice.

Author

• Alexus SA Laster, Howard University