The California Alliance for Student Parent Success (The Alliance) applauds Assemblymember Marc Berman and his team for their commitment to addressing the unique barriers faced by student parents and their families through the introduction of the Greater Accessibility, Information, Notice, and Support (GAINS) for Student Parents Act (Assembly Bill 2458).

With 400,000 student parents in California, the majority of whom are first generation students of color and grapple with significantly higher college costs compared to non-parenting students, the significance of this bill cannot be overstated. Today’s introduction of the GAINS for Student Parents Act marks a pivotal moment in empowering student parents–and the 3.9 million parenting Californians without a college degree–to pursue their educational goals with the support they deserve. Specifically, the bill will require automatic financial aid adjustments for student parents to better account for their child care expenses and require campuses to collect and report data for advancing student parent success. Ultimately, this effort will lead to improved outcomes for both student parents and their children.

The Alliance, led by California Competes: Higher Education and EdTrust-West, proudly sponsors AB 2458 to alleviate financial burdens, facilitate enrollment, and ultimately foster an inclusive, equitable system of learning for today’s students.