Webinar: Closing the Financial Gap for Low-Income Student Parents: The Benefits of Integrated Service Delivery on Community College Campuses, July 25

Please join the   Institute for Women's Policy Research, the Center for Law And Social Policy (CLASP), and Single Stop USA for an upcoming webinar!

When: Monday, July 25, 2:00-3:15 p.m. E.T.

This webinar, hosted by IWPR's Student Parent Success Initiative, will highlight the strategies community colleges and their community partners are utilizing to improve access to public benefits for student parents, as well as needs for expanded integration.

Many parent and non-parent students alike are struggling not only to pay their tuition, but to meet other costs, such as living expenses, books and transportation. Student parents face the additional challenges of balancing family, work, and school obligations, supporting their children financially and obtaining quality, reliable child care arrangements to cover the hours they attend school, study, and work.

There is growing recognition that traditional student support services and financial aid are not always sufficient to enable these students to make ends meet as they pursue degrees and credentials, a reality that may be reflected in the lower levels of retention and completion than their non-parent counterparts. However, a number of institutions and their partners are exploring ways economic support programs, such as food stamps, refundable tax credits and cash assistance, can help students make ends meet.

The distinguished speakers listed below are experts well-versed in implementing models of integrated service delivery on their respective community college campuses. Audience members will have the opportunity to submit questions to be answered by the panelists near the end of the event.

Speakers include:

• Abby Newcomer, Income and Work Supports Policy Analyst, CLASP.
• Ann Lyn Hall, Director of CNM Connect, an integrated effort to provide workforce services, financial literacy and asset building services and improved access to work supports to the close to 30,000 students at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, NM.
• Kristina Testa-Buzzee, Director of the Family Economic Security Program at Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, CT. This program also uses an integrated approach and explicitly focuses on serving the needs of student parents.
• Paul Kendrick, Director of Public Policy, Single Stop USA. The Single Stop USA model provides a comprehensive set of services in one place, including benefits counseling, free tax preparation, legal assistance and financial counseling.
• Deborah Hartt, Single Stop Director for Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City.
• Moderator: Tiffany Boiman, Senior Outreach and Policy Associate, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Student Parent Success Initiative.

You must be registered to access the event. Register online!

The Student Parent Success Initiative , a project of the Institute for Women's Policy Research, is designed to improve supports and services for student parents seeking postsecondary education. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, SPSI serves to initiate new research, raise awareness about the need for student parent supports, and foster communication and collaboration among advocates, policymakers, educators, and practitioners.