St. Kate’s awarded grant for supporting student parents

The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) and Minnesota Department of Health awarded a new round of funding to St. Catherine University to continue its support of student parents. The $112,200 grant from OHE's Student Parent Support Initiative (SPSI) will provide financial grants for child care, family law, and mental health co-pay expenses to reduce financial stressors and improve academic success. St. Kate's first received SPSI funding in 2024.

“This award strengthens our ability to provide trauma-informed, whole family support to St. Kate’s student parents,” said Beth Hamer, director of Access and Success, which administers SPSI funds at St. Kate’s.

For more than 30 years, Access and Success has provided student parents the resources they need to bridge the education gap, persist in their studies, and graduate. When a new student parent enrolls, they receive a starter kit about the many University supports available, including:

• Grants and resources to address emergency needs
• Campus lactation rooms
• A child-friendly library study space with an adjacent playroom
• Once-a-month nutrition education sessions for student parents and their families

In addition to providing financial grants for child care, family law, and mental health co-pay expenses, the latest round of SPSI funding will also help launch two new student parent offerings:

• Family Wellness Sessions: Held virtually and bi-weekly, this offering provides structured time for parents and children to learn and practice mind-body strategies for well-being together.
• Student Parent Advisory Board: One undergraduate and one graduate student will create a pathway for student parent leaders to give direct input about student parent needs at St. Kate’s.

“St. Catherine University has a long history of supporting students as whole people, including those balancing their education with the care of their families,” said Kenneth Cooper, dean for equity and belonging. “This work reflects our mission and our belief that when student parents have the resources they need to thrive, the impact extends beyond the individual student to their families and communities.”

St. Kate's has student parents throughout its three colleges, averaging 19% of its student population. These students often juggle caring for their families and earning income to support them while working toward a degree that will advance their careers and improve their family's economic mobility. Among national universities in Minnesota, St. Kate's is first in rates of economic mobility for graduates.

The SPSI grant arrives during Student Parent Month, which was marked during a September 22 roundtable discussion between St. Kate’s student parents; University President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD; Jackie Font-Guzmán, JD, PhD, senior vice president for student affairs, equity, and belonging; and the state's OHE commissioner, Dennis Olson, Jr. Students were able to ask questions and learn more about how SPSI grants are translating into real, tangible support.

"Student Parent Month gives us an important opportunity to recognize the determination, leadership, and many responsibilities our student parents carry,” Cooper said.

Read more about SPSI and view the complete list of fiscal year 2027 grant recipients.