HARRISBURG, Pa. -– The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is inviting eligible post-secondary institutions to apply for Parent Pathways grants up to $150,000 to support parenting students with tuition assistance, emergency funding, and wrap-around services.
Studies indicate that one in five undergraduate college students is balancing the responsibilities of raising children while pursuing a postsecondary education, and almost half of these students do not earn a degree.
“Balancing the demands of parenthood and higher education is an immense challenge for many students, and the barriers they face sometimes prevent them from reaching their full potential,” said Interim Acting Secretary of Education Angela Fitterer. “By investing in Parent Pathways grants, we are removing some of those obstacles — whether through financial support, childcare resources, or other essential services — to help these parents succeed in their educational journeys. Every student, no matter their circumstances, deserves the opportunity to earn a degree and build a better future for themselves and their families. This initiative reflects our commitment to ensuring that higher education is accessible to all Pennsylvanians.”
Making higher education affordable and accessible for all Pennsylvanians is a key priority of Governor Josh Shapiro’s bold vision for higher education — a plan that reinvests in publicly funded colleges and universities, improves coordination between institutions of higher education, makes college more affordable, helps close workforce shortage gaps by helping more Pennsylvanians earn college credentials, attracts more people to Pennsylvania and keeps them here, and serves as an economic driver for the Commonwealth for generations to come.
In his 2024-25 budget, Shapiro secured nearly $60 million to make postsecondary education more accessible and affordable to Pennsylvanians, with a $35.1 million increase for Pennsylvania State System universities, a $15.7 million increase for community colleges, and an additional $143 million to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to make college more affordable for PA students, including: a $54 million increase for student grants, a $5 million increase for disadvantaged students’ scholarships, a $36 million increase for the Ready to Succeed Scholarship and expanded criteria to increase the number of eligible students, and $25 million for the new Grow PA Scholarship Program.
The Parent Pathways Grant Program offers institutions the opportunity to apply for competitive funding:
To provide wrap-around services for students, expand childcare facilities, employ parent navigators, offer transportation supports, and/or expand other work supportive of parenting students already being accomplished on campus.
For scholarships covering tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, childcare, etc.
For the use of stipends/emergency funding up to a maximum amount as determined by the institution.
Applications are due by 2 p.m. on February 3.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website at: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/education.html
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