2025 FamilyU Cohort
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Generation Hope?

Generation Hope is a national nonprofit organization that engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college and their children through holistic, two-generation programming to ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility.  We are headquartered in Washington, D.C.  To learn more about our work and impact, please click here. 

What are the eligibility requirements to participate in the 2025 FamilyU Cohort?

To be eligible for the FamilyU cohort, prospective participants must:

• Submit a Letter of Support for the institution to participate in the cohort from the institutional President/Chancellor.  

• Be a nonprofit, post-secondary education institution (including public, private, 2-year, and 4-year institutions).

• Be located in the United States. 

• Have a demonstrated interest in serving the undergraduate student parent population enrolled at your institution. 

• Implemented practices that ensure fairness, access, and tailored support for all historically underserved populations within your institution. 

• Be amenable to data sharing with the larger student parent field.

• Have a committed group of student parent champions willing to serve on the institutional team as a part of the FamilyU Cohort. Please note: This commitment will require multi-day travel to various cities throughout the United States.

How much does it cost my institution to participate in the 2025 FamilyU Cohort?

The 2025 Cohort rate is $20,000 annually for each participating institution, totaling $40,000 for the full 2-year engagement. This fee covers core program participation and resources provided throughout the engagement. The first payment/installment will be due by June 30, 2025. 

In addition to the annual participation fee, institutions are responsible to cover all expenses related to their team's participation, including but not implemented to:

• Lodging for all in-person events and activities

• Air travel to and from program-related meetings, convenings, and site visits

• Ground transportation, including transfers between the airport, event venue(s), and accommodations 

• Meals and per diem outside of the convening schedule.  (Generation  Hope will cover meals during each convening). 

Note: We are committed to ensuring Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have equitable access to this opportunity. To support their participation, the fee for HBCUs is set at a reduced rate of $20,000 for the full two-year engagement (i.e. $10,000 annually), covering core program benefits and resources provided throughout the engagement period. This reduced rate reflects Generation Hope's dedication to empowering HBCUs and reinforcing their lasting impact on higher education. The first payment/installment will be due by June 30, 2025.

Who should be a part of an institution’s participation team?

Each participating institution is encouraged to assemble a well-rounded team of six members, with one key staff member holding decision-making authority from each of the following areas: (1) Student Services, (2) Facilities/Campus Planning, (3) Faculty/Instruction, (4) Institutional Research, (5) Financial Aid, and (6) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)/Title IX.

At FamilyU, we believe diverse voices strengthen collaboration and drive meaningful change. As you build your team, we invite institutional leadership to consider each member's race and ethnicity, gender, student-parent identity, sexual orientation, first-generation status, economic background, and other lived experiences. By bringing together a wide range of perspectives, your team can foster richer dialogue, deeper understanding, and a genuinely inclusive approach to advancing student success.

The institutional team will be led by a dedicated Team Lead who provides their time, capacity, and influence to inspire and support the team throughout the two-year commitment. Additionally, to ensure the team can achieve goals, a supportive member of the institutional team will offer mentorship and thoughtful supervisory guidance to a part-time Student Parent Fellow, who will become a valued contributor during the second year of the cohort. 

What is the time commitment for participants?

From July 2025 to July 2027, the time commitment includes:

• Actively participating in eight two-day cohort meetings with other agreed-upon members of the institutional team:

  Convening Schedule:

  2025
  Cohort 2025 Orientation
  July 23 - 24, 2025
  
  Data Convening
  October 28 & 29, 2025
  
  2026
  Policy Convening + President Summit
  Feb 4-6, 2026
  
  People Convening
  March 24-25, 2026
  
  Culture Convening + Fellow Orientation
  June 11-12, 2026 (6/10-Fellows)
  
  Change Management Convening
  October 8-9 2026
  
  2027
  Sustainable Practices Convening
  Feb 25 & 26, 2027
  
  Continuous Improvement and Cohort Celebration
  June 24 & 25, 2027

  _________________________________

• Convening locations will be determined by the institutions selected to join the cohort and will be announced during orientation.  Some convenings will take place in Washington, DC.

• Engage in monthly institution-focused virtual coaching sessions, lasting up to 1.5 hours each, except during months when convenings are scheduled.

• Team leads should dedicate additional time to meet with their coach outside of coaching sessions and supervision time for the student parent fellow in year 2.

• Expect to dedicate an average of 8 hours per month, beyond virtual coaching sessions and in-person cohort convenings, to actively advancing tasks and responsibilities that drive progress toward the goals outlined in the institutional work plan.

• During Year 2, Generation Hope staff will conduct an impactful site visit at each institution, typically lasting 4-6 hours. The visit will provide an opportunity for institutions to share progress, engage the campus community on student parent experiences and barriers, highlight FamilyU’s impact, and hear directly from student parents. Institutions will plan, and cover on-site hosting expenses, if applicable, and actively involve their Student Parent Fellow and institutional team members. Generation Hope will provide a best practice template and brief training session to support preparation.

• Also, in Year 2, Generation Hope’s leadership offers an optional executive session with the institution’s Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors, and/or an executive leadership team during a time that aligns with your institution’s governing calendar.

• Institutional Presidents/Chancellors are expected to attend a special summit for executive leaders during our Policy Cohort Convening, scheduled for February 4 & 5, 2026, in Year 1 of the cohort. Proxies cannot be sent in their absence.  

• Cohort member attendance is required for the Cohort Final Celebration at Generation Hope's National Office in Washington, D.C., in June 2027. This event will celebrate the cohort’s achievements and mark the end of the program.

Who should complete the application on behalf of my institution? 

We recommend the application be completed by the person most closely connected to student parent services and the implementation of policies affecting this group of students. This is often a Vice President of Student Services, Dean of Students, or someone in a similar role, but we trust you to choose the best representative for your institution.   

When will I be notified of your decision?

We will notify all applicants by late May 2025. 

How many institutions will be in the 2025 cohort?

Generation Hope will select up to five, two-and four-year colleges or universities to join in the FamilyU 2025 Cohort. We strongly encourage HBCUs and institutions that have attended our National Hope Conference and/ or participated in other Generation Hope technical assistance programming to apply as well as all eligible institutions committed to supporting student parents.

Who from Generation Hope will be facilitating and leading the 2025 Cohort?

The FamilyU Cohort program is facilitated by Generation Hope’s Learning & Innovation Team, composed of content experts with deep experience in higher education systems and student parent success. While the entire team will provide active support throughout the program, each institution will also be assigned to a Sr. Higher Ed Impact Manager who will serve as their dedicated institutional coach for the full two-year engagement. 

What can I expect if my institution is selected as a member of the 2025 Cohort?

As a cohort member, you will gain valuable data, resources, and insights to strengthen your efforts in better serving student parents on your campus. Through participation in virtual coaching sessions and in-person convenings, you will connect with student parent champions across your campus and higher education leaders nationwide. Regular communication and structured support from your dedicated FamilyU coach will be a key part of the cohort experience, ensuring you have the guidance needed to make meaningful progress. 

Members of the 2025 FamilyU Cohort will receive the following benefits:

• Customized Campus Work Plan: A personalized action plan for your campus, informed by your results from Generation Hope’s Student Parent Campus Capacity Assessment.

• Dedicated Coaching Support: A Senior Higher Ed Impact Manager will guide your institution by analyzing assessment results, facilitating student parent efforts, and providing ongoing problem-solving support throughout the two-year cohort.

• Interactive, In-Person Cohort Meetings: Eight engaging, two-day in-person meetings held quarterly across the U.S., centered around Core Competency Areas (e.g. Data, Policy, Culture, and People) focusing on reflective dialogue, collaboration, and results-driven strategies.

• Monthly One-on-One Coaching: 15 personalized coaching sessions over a two-year period, focusing on your institution’s unique goals and challenges.

• Student Parent Fellow Participation: In the second year, a trained and compensated Student Parent Fellow will join your institutional team to support the implementation phase of your student parent initiatives.

• Institution Site Visit (Required): Generation Hope staff will conduct one on-site visit to provide hands-on support and assess progress during the cohort experience.

Executive Session with Institutional Leadership (Optional): The opportunity for an executive session with your institution’s Board to share progress and impact related to student parent success.