Could Your Kids Be Your College Roommates?
The surprising answer is yes, and you don’t have to wait until your children are college-aged, either. Initiatives like the Higher Education Alliance for Residential Single Parent Programs (HEARSSP) are setting out to make the dream of living on campus a reality for single parents returning to college, and with promising results.
All about HEARSPP. The Higher Education Alliance for Residential Single Parent Programs is a nonprofit organization with one goal in mind: the progression of single parents through college. The founders of HEARSPP believe that one parent families should have the same opportunities that all other, unattached, college students have, and that means accessibility to on-campus living.
Why would single parents want to live on campus? There are many advantages to living on campus while attending college. For one, on-campus living provides an instant support group for single parents fulfilling their college dreams. Where else can you find a ready-built network of like-minded people, working toward the same goals, right outside your door (literally?) It is also worth noting that single parents, especially, can benefit from the lower cost of living that on-campus life provides. Additionally, living within walking distance of your college courses is not only convenient, but it is also a time and money saver.
How to find colleges for single parents. To find a college campus that will welcome you, the single parent, into its residential quarters, visit the Single Parents Alliance of America website: spaoa.org. In addition to information about colleges that participate in the HEARSPP initiative, this site lists an array of resources for single parents.
Statistics show that a growing number of college students are single parents, and colleges are stepping up to the plate to accommodate the special needs of these exceptional students. If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities offered by schools and programs affiliated with HEARSSP, be sure to visit the website, explore a little, and contact a representative when you’re ready to take that next giant leap toward your independence.
