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Subcommittee unanimously backs bill to add self‑identified student‑parent status to SCHEV data
Summary
House Bill 427 would add voluntary, self‑identified student‑parent status to the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia’s data system so institutions and policymakers can better understand and serve parenting students; supporters including students and program coordinators testified. The bill reported 8–0.
House Bill 427 would add a voluntary self‑identification field for student parents to SCHEV's uniform and comprehensive data system so institutions and policymakers can measure prevalence and target supports for parenting students.
The patron (Speaker 9) said the bill is about visibility and accountability and does not require collection of new personal information beyond voluntary self‑identification. Tom Allison of HCM Strategists (Speaker 14) presented research indicating that approximately one in five college students are parents and said student‑parent data are not reliably available at the federal level or across institutions.
Students and program staff from Brightpoint Community College described the daily challenges of balancing coursework with childcare and said an opt‑in question on applications or forms would let colleges better identify and serve this population. Katrina Bailey (Speaker 17), CAPS coordinator, said the FAFSA is not a reliable source for identifying parenting students and argued that an opt‑in self‑report would protect privacy while improving outreach.
After a slate of public supporters testified, the committee moved to report the bill; the clerk recorded an 8–0 vote to report HB 427.
Proponents said the measure is intended to create accurate data for smarter resource allocation and improved student success outcomes without mandating new programs or intrusive data collection.
