Ascend: HBCUs and TCUs Postsecondary Success for Parents

One in 5 college students are parents, and more than half of those are students of color.

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and tribal colleges and universities (TCUs)—with cultures rooted in family, community, and holistic supports—are uniquely positioned to identify and address the needs of Black and Native students who are navigating childcare and family responsibilities. Ascend at the Aspen Institute’s Postsecondary Success for Parents initiative provides funding and expert technical assistance to selected HBCUs and TCUs that are committed to supporting student parents.

This project will evaluate the initiative using a culturally centered approach guided by the Garcia-Coll integrative developmental model, adapted for the context of HBCUs and TCUs and informed by the Afrocentric perspective and Indigenous Evaluation Framework. Our team will identify and monitor indicators of grantee progress toward effective practices and build grantee capacity by sharing guidance, feedback, resources, and tools. Products will include a theory of change, logic model, evaluation plan, site visit protocols, and final report documenting impact and institutional change.