HCM’s Tom Allison Featured in Article Highlighting Virginia’s Recent Step to Support Student Parents
A new Virginia law signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger will require public colleges and universities to ask students whether they are also raising children, making the commonwealth one of a small but growing number of states with this kind of mandate.
Introduced by Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling (D–Henrico), the legislation aims to close a visibility gap that has long left parenting students underserved. Students won’t be required to disclose their parental status, but the option to self-report will give institutions better data to shape resources and programming around the real needs of this population. Nationally, 1 in 5 college students are also parents — a figure rarely reflected in how campuses operate. “This is a relatively significant population with unique challenges and opportunities for the commonwealth to better serve them,” HCM’s Director of State Policy & Finance, Tom Allison, noted about the law.
The timing is significant: recent FAFSA changes have made it harder for colleges to identify parenting students through financial aid data, creating a gap this law directly addresses. Data will eventually be standardized and reported to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, building a foundation for smarter statewide policy. This data will enhance the visibility of student parents, helping colleges better serve them and support their success.