Thank you so much for your interest in the 2026 FamilyU Cohort!
The FamilyU Cohort is a comprehensive, customized, evidence-based, two-year capacity-building experience designed to create and refine institutional competencies to improve undergraduate student parent success. In partnership with institutional staff and student parents, colleges and universities participate in peer learning convenings and campus-focused independent coaching sessions.
Through FamilyU, partner institutions will fundamentally shift the higher education system for student parents by:
- Improving data collection methods and tools to better track the parenting status of your students.
- Increasing awareness of the student parent population enrolled at your institution and their needs for college completion by cultivating student parent champions at your institution to galvanize systems-change efforts.
- Boosting student enrollment, retention, and completion rates at your institution by developing and implementing racially equitable, parent-friendly policies at all levels on your campus to help students thrive.
- Deepening relationships with peer institutions and field experts working to improve student outcomes.
Through the application process, we will select five institutions to engage in this unique capacity-building opportunity. A few reminders before completing the application:
- Applications are due on May 13, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST.
- This application will take approximately 15 minutes to complete not including submitting supplemental documents. Once you begin the application, you may save and come back, if needed.
- Only one application per institution will be accepted.
- Each institution must designate a point of contact (FamilyU team lead) who is authorized to complete and submit the application on behalf of the institution. The point of contact will field all correspondence related to the FamilyU Cohort and will identify team members from the identified functional areas.
- Ensure that you have reviewed the PDF version of the FamilyU Cohort Application and the FAQ before beginning your application.
- Each institution will be required to pay $40,000 total to participate, with the first payment due by June 30, 2026. Please note that this fee will be waived for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
- Institutions will be notified of selection by early June 2026.
For specific questions, you may contact the Generation Hope team at familyu@generationhope.org. We look forward to receiving your application.
