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Maryland Law Boosts Support for Student Parents at Universities

Josia Klein, senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, emphasized the importance of student parents support. “They’re juggling a lot,” Klein said. “They’ve got schoolwork, academic responsibilities. Many are working, and they also have family responsibilities. But then there are a lot of other issues, including discrimination and stigma of schools not fully understanding those students’ rights.” The law mandates plans that include on- and off-campus support services, government resources, healthcare referral networks, and adoption information.

The student parents support plans are designed to tackle barriers like basic needs insecurity, which Klein noted is a significant obstacle to graduation. “This is really important,” she said, “because basic needs security is a real barrier for student parents in graduation and getting to that finish line.” By providing access to resources such as childcare, financial aid, and healthcare, Maryland’s public universities aim to help student parents complete their degrees.