Family support and encouragement are critical to student success

Parents don’t (and probably shouldn’t) know everything about their student’s college experience or what an institution offers in terms of academic and support services.  At the same time, it’s a good bet that no one wants or has invested more in seeing a student succeed than one’s mother or father. Words of encouragement from family members can be an important pillar of support for student success. As much or more than any previous generation, traditional-age undergraduates today welcome parental advice and encouragement.

How often do families encourage college students

As much or more than any previous generation, traditional-age undergraduates today welcome parental advice and encouragement.

In fact, the National Survey of Student Engagement reported several years ago that students were in frequent contact with family members – at least two to three times a week on average.  Cell phones, Instagram, texts and so on make such interactions almost effortless.  Moreover, when students seek advice from a parent, they mainly report they would likely act on what their mom or dad suggested. 

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years. ” — Mark Twain”

While frequent words of encouragement are important for students, there can be too much of a good thing. Yes, so-called “helicopter parents” can dampen their offspring’s undeniable quest for autonomy and independence.  These types of hovering parents may try to make too many academic decisions for their children. In this case, an academic advisor is the preferred source of information about the specific courses to take in order to make timely progress to the degree. 

Why is family support important for students?

Research and common sense suggest that family support and encouragement are critical to students developing resilience and a sense of purpose. 

In fact, student persistence increases with parent engagement by up to 15%. The positive impact of parent involvement on college students is also reflected in higher GPAs of about 0.5 points. That difference can impact whether or not a student graduates.

But for various reasons, one of which is a legal obligation – the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (or FERPA) -- institutions have been skittish to communicate directly with parents about many matters other than providing general information, such as through periodic newsletters or other means.  For some parents and students, this may be sufficient.  But most students and families would benefit from a more forthcoming, fulsome relationship with their college or university.

In fact, any student can allow the institution to provide parental access to one’s records by signing a release. Doing so can benefit the majority of students and their families, and is especially important for students who are the first in their families to attend college.  In many instances, the parents or guardians of these “first gen” students have little tacit knowledge about the range of challenging circumstances that their students might face.  Thus, they are limited in how and when they can offer support or even who their student should contact at the institution to get advice and help. 

Colleges and universities could and should do more to involve parents in their student’s education in appropriate ways. 

It stands to reason that the right kind of partnership between institutions, parents, and students will help more students thrive in college and complete their educational programs in a timely fashion.  It is hard to imagine a more promising, cost-effective, and personalized approach to increasing student success.

Are you interested in bringing families and students closer together and help encourage students to succeed? Talk to an expert to learn how we can help you! 

NOTE: George D. Kuh, PhD, is the Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Higher Education at Indiana University and a member of CampusESP's Advisory Board.