H.R. 3994: Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2025, aims to enhance the collection of data regarding parents who are pursuing higher education. Here are the key provisions of the bill:

Data Collection on Student Parents

The bill mandates the Commissioner of Education Statistics to:

• Define "Parenting Student": Establish a clear definition of "parenting student," encompassing any student who identifies as a parent or caregiver of a dependent child, in consultation with relevant stakeholders such as students, experts, and higher education staff.
• Develop Data Elements: Within two years of enactment, develop specific data elements for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and other federal data collection efforts. These elements will collect information on parenting students, including:
• The number of parenting students
• Their enrollment, retention, and completion rates
• The average net costs they incur
• The marital status of these students
• Employment status during the academic year
• Median income and income categories
• Their enrollment status in various academic programs
• Your utilization of campus childcare services

Data Disaggregation

Collected data must be disaggregated by:

• Students identifying as parents
• Students identifying as caregivers

Ongoing Consultation

Experts in data collection on parenting students will be included in advisory committees to continuously provide best practices related to data collection methods.

Technical Assistance for States and Institutions

The Secretary of Education will provide technical help to states and educational institutions to develop and implement data collection methods that consider the parental status of students. This will include:

• Leveraging existing systems for data collection
• Integrating data with state information systems
• Adapting reporting practices as needed
• Best practices for informing students about data use and privacy

Study on Improving Outcomes

The Secretary of Education is required to conduct a study focusing on effective practices at institutions that enhance outcomes for students who are parents or caregivers. This study will cover:

• Enrollment trends of parenting students
• The impact of campus-based childcare availability on student success
• Integration of on-campus services with other support programs

Reporting Findings

Within two years, the Secretary must report the findings of this study to Congress and make the results publicly accessible. This report will include best practices that have been effective in improving outcomes for parenting students.

Definitions

The bill provides specific definitions for terms such as "institution of higher education" and "State" based on existing law to avoid ambiguity.

Relevant Companies

None found