Getting a college education while also raising kids can feel like an impossible goal, but there are many benefits to getting a college degree or certificate. These include increased earnings, more stable housing, and the chance to provide a better life for your children.
Fortunately, Austin Community College, like many community colleges, has several resources for student parents, including access to child care scholarships.
Here are six tips for student parents to help you access those resources, make a plan, and get started on your degree or certificate.
Tip 1. Tell Your Advisor You’re a Student Parent
After you apply to ACC or any community college, you’ll be assigned an advisor. That advisor will help you pick the classes you need for your desired major or certificate program. They can also help connect you with services.
Here’s how being a student parent can help you.
At ACC, student parents can register for classes in the first wave of registration. This means that you can get dibs on the classes you need, so you can go through your course of study faster.
If you’re a veteran, you also receive specific veteran services, such as help with accessing your education benefits. ACC’s Veterans Services office can help you through the process.
Under Federal civil rights law Title IX, colleges can’t discriminate against you for being pregnant. If you are pregnant you may be entitled to some accommodations.
Make sure to access all the resources that ACC offers. This includes access to free food for you and your family, help with signing up for SNAP and WIC benefits, free transportation via bus or rail, mental health resources, technology such as iPads for notetaking, emergency funds, and more.
By taking advantage of all these benefits, you can set yourself up to focus on your classes.
Tip 2. Apply for FAFSA or TASFA
Applying for federal financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) for undocumented students can help unlock money for college.
Financial aid isn’t just about student loans. The FAFSA is the first step in receiving a federal Pell Grant as well as any scholarship money (see Tip 4). Scholarships and grants like the Pell don’t have to be paid back. They can be used to help pay your tuition as well as rent, food, gas, and other living expenses.
The FAFSA process can be intimidating, but the ACC financial aid office can help you through it. You have to fill out the FAFSA every year, but it’s worth it.
Tip 3. Apply for the Child Care Scholarship and Day Care Waitlists
After you complete the FAFSA, apply for ACC’s child care scholarship. This scholarship covers your day care expenses by paying the provider directly. The scholarship can also pay for day care during winter break and spring break. Apply for these scholarships as soon as you register for classes so you can get on the waiting list at the beginning of each semester.
ACC has two child care options on campus. The College’s early childhood education degree program operates the Lab School and the evening child care program on the Eastview Campus. While spots are limited, both programs offer subsidized day care for ACC students through the federal program CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools). It may be worth it to get on the waitlist, in case spots open up.
Tip 4. Explore Scholarships and Other Money for College
Here are some other options for getting money to help pay for school and cover life expenses while you’re a student.
You may be eligible for free tuition at ACC if you graduate high school between 2024 and 2028 or got your TX GED® between July 2023 and August 2028.
Apply for scholarships. These scholarships can help you pay for textbooks, food, rent, and other resources, and like the Pell Grant, don’t have to be repaid. ACC specialists can help you apply for scholarships to boost your chances of success.
The student emergency fund is there to help you stay on track. If you experience an unexpected financial crisis during the semester, apply for support. This fund can help you pay those unexpected expenses whether it’s a new tire for your car, a high electric bill, or something else.
If you’re a veteran, take advantage of all of your federal and state benefits that help you transition out of the military.
Take advantage of the tuition payment plan. You can split your bill into a series of payments so you’re paying just a portion at a time. It can make tuition payments easier to manage. This is an interest-free option but you do have to keep track of payment deadlines.
Tip 5. Make a Schedule that Works for You
Time management is one of the biggest barriers to being a student parent, because parenting is a full-time job, and many student parents also work.
ACC offers a variety of class schedules that work for you. You can take online classes, in-person, hybrid (some classes online, some in-person), asynchronous (study and do classwork on your own time), and more.
ACC also offers short semester classes, including 8-week, 12-week, and 14-week classes, as well as traditional 16-week sessions. These can help you knock out course requirements in a short amount of time. However, 8-week classes especially can be intense, so make sure you’re able to do the work in a compressed timeframe.
Work with your advisor to make sure you’re taking a course load that you can be successful with.
You’ll also have to schedule classwork and homework assignments with parenting and work duties. This means you’ll have to be proactive about making time to study, whether it’s after the kids have gone to bed or early in the morning before they get up, or any other schedule that works for you.
Tip 6. Take Advantage of Academic Resources
ACC is here to help you succeed. We offer tutoring and academic coaching. You have access to computer labs and other technology. Your professors have office hours and will provide additional help outside the classroom.
Use all of these resources. Be proactive and communicate with your professors. They want you to succeed too. Asking for help is part of being a successful student.
Student Parents Can Succeed at ACC
The first step to getting your degree as a parenting student is to know that ACC is here to help. From first applying, to choosing classes, to getting FAFSA help, and to accessing all other resources, ACC will help guide you through the process. To find out more about getting your degree or technical certificate at ACC, see how we can help you achieve your goals.
