Beyond the High School Diploma : Encouraging Teen Parents in their Post -Secondary Pursuits
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By Melanie Soland , University of Minnesota Student Parent HELP Center
The University of Minnesota Student Parent HELP Center ’ s Teen Parent Outreach program is approaching a decade in existence . Having grown from a connection with just a couple of schools and a handful of students , the program now partners with 15 different teen parent support programs in the Twin Cities metro area and reaches over 100 teen parents annually . Over the years staff have presented to over 1,000 teen parents , teachers , and support staff . The SPHC has also provided similar outreach to other supportive programs that work with teen parents ( i . e . ECFE staff , school counselors and administrators ) as well as programs serving older single mothers , such as GED programs and women ’ s shelters . With the shocking statistic that less than 2 % of young ( under 18 years of age ) teen mothers attain a college degree by age 30 ( Why It Matters , the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy ), it is essential for college personnel to reach out to these young people for the well-being and economic success of their families .
The primary purpose of Teen Parent Outreach ( TPO ) is to increase college attendance . This can be done by engaging with young moms and dads through informative presentations , connecting them with models of success by utilizing current student parents who were themselves young , and often teen , parents , to speak about their experiences as college students with families , and training high school staff on resources and supports available to college students with children . The current educational focus with teen parents is often simply getting them through high school , which is a challenge enough sometimes , but the reality is that most people will need training beyond high school in order to be able to make a living wage to support themselves and their families . In fact , a 2000 U . S . Bureau of Labor Statistics report found that a woman holding a bachelor ’ s degree could expect to earn 68 % more per year than a woman holding a high school diploma . However , many teen parents are not getting the message that they are college material ( and too often they are told they CANNOT go to college because they have a child ). Engaging in TPO activities allows professionals to provide an honest , but hopeful and encouraging , look at the challenges and opportunities that pursuing a college degree provides young parents . Attending a 4-year college or university after high school isn ’ t the right fit for everyone , so TPO allows professionals to provide the information and resources teens need to effectively access higher education at any level .
It is important to point out that any TPO program should not be used primarily as a recruitment tool for an institution or program . While SPHC staff are happy to talk about our program and what it offers , and we provide information on the University of Minnesota for those who are interested , our most important message to teen parents is that they can pursue post-secondary education somewhere ! One of the most important things to remember when working with teen parents is that each student has different interests , skills , and needs , so we must use a broad scope approach to meet them where they are . Ultimately , our main purpose is to drive home the message that post-secondary education is not out of their reach simply because they have children .
In additional to the real story of a current student parent / former teen parent , there are a number of hard resources that are helpful to provide to teen parents during outreach . Some of these resources include admissions information and criteria for various vocational , two , and four-year institutions in your state , general financial aid information ( FAFSA ), ACT / SAT prep info , Post- Secondary Enrollment Options ( PSEO ), child care referral services and grants or assistance programs , affordable housing resources , and student parent support programs available in the area . In addition to these specific resources , it can also be helpful to provide tips in a variety of areas , such as welfare considerations and post-secondary education guidelines , an overview of differences between high school and college , and a compilation of “ College Survival Tips ” from advisors , professionals who work with students with children , or student parents themselves .
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Melanie Soland is the Direct Services Counselor and Teen Parent Outreach Coordinator for the University of Minnesota , Student Parent HELP Center . She can be contacted at opayx002 @ umn . edu