The Future of Aging and Longevity - Flipbook - Page 13
one study found that more than half of students
with caregiving responsibili琀椀es considered stopping
their coursework.7
But here is the hopeful 昀椀nding: 81 percent
of student caregivers say caregiving gives them
a strong sense of purpose.8 These are not young
people asking to be rescued. They are asking to be
seen—by schools, health systems, and policymakers
who have treated them as a footnote to adultcentered strategies rather than a popula琀椀on with
its own needs, 琀椀melines, and vulnerabili琀椀es. When
students see no value in iden琀椀fying as caregivers,
they remain invisible to the very ins琀椀tu琀椀ons
posi琀椀oned to help them.
We don’t have to invent the solu琀椀on from
scratch. The United Kingdom has built scalable,
government-backed support for young carers,
including dedicated services, school-based
iden琀椀昀椀ca琀椀on, and a caregiving ques琀椀on on its
na琀椀onal university applica琀椀on. When Bri琀椀sh
students iden琀椀fy as carers, support can 昀椀nd them.
So let’s start asking. The Department of
Educa琀椀on should add caregiving ques琀椀ons to its
na琀椀onal surveys so we have accurate numbers
instead of es琀椀mates. The Free Applica琀椀on for
Federal Student Aid should include a caregiving
ques琀椀on. Colleges should explore o昀昀ering credit
for the skilled, demanding work of caregiving. And
higher educa琀椀on should take on a direct challenge:
Iden琀椀fy, count, and support student caregivers
with 昀氀exible scheduling, emergency aid, informed
advising, and campus caregiver liaisons—just as
campuses have learned to do for student parents
and veterans.
Philanthropy can help catalyze this change.
Funders invested in postsecondary success
should ask whether their strategies reach the
growing community of student caregivers. Student
caregivers tell us what they need most, and it is
strikingly modest: recogni琀椀on, 昀椀nancial assistance,
and someone to talk to who understands the
pressures they face.
The ins琀椀tu琀椀on with the power to change these
students’ lives is the one they are immersed in
every day, speci昀椀cally admissions, advising, 昀椀nancial
aid, and student health departments. Colleges
didn’t wait for a federal mandate to support student
“When students see no value
in iden琀椀fying as caregivers,
they remain invisible to the
very ins琀椀tu琀椀ons posi琀椀oned
to help them.”
veterans and student parents; they acted because
they recognized a popula琀椀on whose success
depended on it. Student caregivers deserve the
same recogni琀椀on, and campuses can extend it
star琀椀ng this semester.
The next decade of the caregiving movement
will be measured by whether we extend that hardwon recogni琀椀on to the young people already doing
the work—quietly, capably, and mostly alone. They
have earned more than our admira琀椀on. It’s 琀椀me to
bring them to the table we spent the last decade
building.
A D ECA D E O F P RO GRE S S , A D ECA D E TO ACT
9
