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Working parents and caregivers can find assistance through flexible learning and helpful services

������Ƶ is highlighting its support framework for working parents and caregivers, reflecting the University’s deep understanding of the needs of students who balance school, work and family responsibilities. Most students at ������Ƶ are working adults, parents and caregivers; in fact, 63% indicated in the Encoura + Ruffalo Noel Levitz Priorities Survey for Online Learners that they care for dependents. Their average age is 38, and 68 percent are first-generation college students. With most students caring for dependents and working while enrolled, the University has created and continues to develop support resources designed to help students manage competing demands throughout their education journey.

Key Facts about ������Ƶ Students

• 63% care for dependents
• 62% work while enrolled
• Average student age: 38
• 68% are first-generation college students
• 95% cite flexible pacing and work schedule as enrollment drivers

Source: 2025 Encoura + Ruffalo Noel Levitz Priorities Survey for Online Learners.

“Working parents and caregivers often face barriers that can make pursuing a degree feel out of reach,” said John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer at ������Ƶ. “Our goal is to provide reliable and accessible support that helps students move forward in their educational goals. We listen closely to our students and continue to strengthen the systems and resources that help them manage competing responsibilities while staying on track.”

Impact for Parents and Working Adults

������Ƶ Career Institute® The Career Optimism Special Report™ Series: Moms in the Sandwich Generation, revealed that caregiving responsibilities, specifically a lack of time to meet competing demands, affect adult learners and workers. In fact, 58 percent of working “sandwich generation” moms, or moms caring for both children and adult dependents, say they have “turned down opportunities to further their education because of caregiving responsibilities.”

The University’s parenting and caregiver student support framework seeks to address the challenges that many working parents face juggling career, school and life, and builds on the University’s longstanding focus on providing practical support for its learners, including students who are balancing caregiving responsibilities. To help support working adults and caregiver students, ������Ƶ built flexible learning and on-demand services into the learning ecosystem, including:

• Multiple program start dates throughout the year;
• Five- or six-week-long courses designed for asynchronous learning;
• The University’s Phoebe® chatbot, giving students quick access to their grades, class schedules, financial documents, helpful articles and responses to frequently asked questions;
• The Life Resource Center, providing students with supports including confidential counseling services for up to three face-to-face, video or telephone counseling sessions, per unique incident, per year, for relationship and family issues, stress, anxiety, and other common challenges;
• The Virtual Student Union offers students a blend of on-demand and in-person in-academic and career services resources, including one-to-one career advising, career exploration tools, instructor-led workshops and a job board;
• The Career Services for Life® commitment, which supports University active students and graduates with personalized career coaching, career-focused webinars, resume guidance and the Career Navigator tool which helps users discover career opportunities aligned with their interests and skills;
• Academic counseling that incorporates developmental coaching;
• Targeted academic resources such as the Center for Writing Excellence and the Center for Mathematics Excellence;
• Online study groups with opportunities to connect with peers, helping students stay engaged while balancing caregiving commitments.

The University’s online courses are led by faculty with an average of 29.4 years of professional service who have access to a wide range of teaching supports that help them recognize when students may be facing competing demands at work, at home, or as caregivers. These include guidance on effective classroom management, strategies for compassionate and trauma‑informed communication, and tools that help identify students who may need additional outreach. Faculty can also draw on workshops, trainings and best practices that strengthen engagement, connection and feedback. These resources help instructors create a learning environment that supports students balancing school with other responsibilities.

Parents and Caregivers at the University

Working parents and caregivers often seek education options that can adapt to complex schedules and shifting responsibilities of working caregivers. In the 2025 Encoura + Ruffalo Noel Levitz Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL) which measures the priorities and satisfaction of students enrolled in online undergraduate and graduate programs at public and private two-year and four-year institutions across the United States, students identified flexibility as a key factor in deciding to enroll in a degree program. Among ������Ƶ respondents, 95 percent selected “flexible pacing for completing a program” and “work schedule” as factors that influenced their decision to enroll.

At ������Ƶ, the Assessment & Institutional Research (AIR) team administered the PSOL to a random sample of 20,000 actively enrolled associate, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students representing each college and degree level. The national benchmark used in this administration of the survey includes responses from 89,642 online students at 150 participating institutions.

Of the 20,000 ������Ƶ students administered the PSOL survey, 2,532 ������Ƶ students responded and were asked if they were caregivers, and if so, whether they were caring for children, relatives, both, or had other caregiving responsibilities. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they had children living with them. An additional 12 percent of respondents said they were caring for both children and relatives in their home.

Of the survey respondents with caregiving responsibilities, 28 percent are between the ages of 45 – 54, 40 percent are between the ages of 35 – 44, and 21 percent are between the ages of 25 – 34.

Survey results also highlight features that can be particularly important for parents and caregivers, including clear expectations and ease of participation. In response to the statement, “Program requirements are clear and reasonable,” 90 percent of ������Ƶ respondents with caregiving responsibilities reported being “satisfied or very satisfied”. Students also reported being 96 percent “satisfied or very satisfied” with the statement, “Course format is easy to navigate and fits into my busy life.”

The 2025 RNL Priorities Survey for Online Learners survey findings also point to the importance of dependable tools and communication options that fit adult learners’ schedules. For example, the survey revealed that 95 percent of ������Ƶ respondents with caregiving responsibilities reported satisfaction with the statement, “The tools used to communicate with faculty and other students are appropriate.” In addition, 96 percent of respondents also reported being “satisfied or very satisfied “with the statement, “I am given the tools I need to successfully complete my assignments.”

National Context

According to the , more than 60 percent of parents work full-time while pursuing a college degree, and they do so primarily to access better paying careers. With , and , access to flexible and career-relevant education matters to workers who want to pursue a degree, and so do support services that can help the journey be more manageable.

Learn more here about the ways in which ������Ƶ supports its students.

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit  phoenix.edu/blog.html.