Parenting Students Need More Support for Transferring to a Four-Years

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

Research brief examining barriers faced by parenting students in CalWORKs as they plan to transfer from California community colleges to four-year institutions. Based on interviews with parenting students and staff and a statewide survey, the brief shows that limited support for families’ basic needs—along with insufficient campus-based CalWORKs advising at universities—raises uncertainty and stress during transfer. Key needed supports include cash assistance, food benefits, health insurance, childcare, housing, transportation, and direct academic and career guidance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

What parenting students want after community college

Transfer goals and employment alternatives

Transfer barriers and the support gap

Anxiety and lack of university-level CalWORKs advising

What’s needed next

Economic supports and four-year institution support

About the research

Parenting students work hard every day to pursue their goals, often juggling work, classes, and caregiving responsibilities. Public systems and programs can provide critical support, but frequently create additional hurdles for parenting students and their families—especially those with low incomes. In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research to better understand the barriers experienced by parenting students in CalWORKs, California’s cash assistance program for families with children. This brief highlights findings from the research on parenting students’experiences transferring to four-year institutions. Inadequate support for families’ basic needs combined with limited support at four-year institutions for parenting students who participate in CalWORKs are significant barriers for parenting students as they further their education. “ I've heard from students who are eligible for CalWORKs who transfer to the university [and they] wish they could stay with us [at the community college CalWORKs program]. They really like the community support... There aren't any CalWORKs programs that I'm aware of at the university level. [It’s important to] have something else for parenting students at the university, and specifically for CalWORKs students.” —MARTINA, A CALWORKS ADVISOR ATA COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Many parenting students attend community college with a plan to eventually transfer to a four-year institution. MORE THAN HALF OF PARENTING STUDENTS SAY THEIR GOAL IS TO TRANSFER TO A FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTION Find employment 35% Continue to 4-year institution 55% n = 650 Continue education/training at a different institution 10% When asked, "What is your primary education and career goal after you complete your community college program?" Though many parenting students want to transfer, they are often anxious about the process and not sure what to expect. Parents often reported feeling nervous and uncertain about what will happen after they transfer, and concerned about the supports available for them at four-year institutions, especially with a lack of campus-based CalWORKs advisors to support th “I know the program I'm in, they help you transfer, but I don't know anything about going to a university or transferring... I know I'm going to need a lot of guidance from the school for that. I'm saving that for when I get there.” —CLARISA, A MOM OF TWO AND A STUDENT IN THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY “I haven't officially spoken to anyone. I applied and received my acceptance… I honestly have no idea [what to expect] . My classmates who are transferring have the same consensus. We're all lost, but we're doing it.” —GRACE, A MOM AND A STUDENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Parenting students need more support to successfully transfer to a four year institution and accomplish their goals—including completing their degrees. For parents to be able to focus on their education and career goals, their families’ basic needs have to be met first. Parents specifically highlighted the importance of cash assistance, food assistance, health insurance, child care, housing assistance, and transportation support—as well as direct support from a campus-based CalWORKs advisor—as necessary to achieve their goal of transferring to a four-year institution. PARENTING STUDENTS NEED MORE SUPPORT MEETING BASIC NEEDS IN ORDER TO TRANSFER TO A FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTION Cash assistance SNAP (CalFresh) Health insurance (e.g. MediCal) Child care Campus CalWORKs counselor Housing assistance Transportation (Mileage) Academic & career advisor WIC Job training Home visiting Substance use services | 2%
2% | | 19% | 31% | 42% | 49% | 63%
59% | 71%
69% | 85% | 90% | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | When asked, "If you plan to transfer to a four-year institution after graduating from community college, what supports do you thin

FAQs

What research question does the brief address about CalWORKs parenting students?

It examines barriers experienced by parenting students in CalWORKs, especially their experiences when transferring to four-year institutions.

Why do parenting students find transferring to a four-year institution difficult?

They report anxiety and uncertainty about what to expect, largely because families’ basic needs may not be fully met and four-year institutions often lack campus-based CalWORKs support.

Which supports do parenting students say they need to pursue transfer goals?

They highlight economic supports such as cash assistance, food assistance, health insurance, childcare, housing, and transportation, as well as guidance from campus-based CalWORKs advisors and academic and career advisors.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys