Working parents can earn a bachelor’s degree online while balancing family, a job, and other commitments. Planning can start with estimating how many hours a week they can give to coursework, then finding child care that fits their work and class schedules. They can also look for a university with support in place for when a shift changes or a child gets sick, and with study space on campus for days when home is too busy. Before enrolling, they can find out how many of their credits transfer and what financial aid covers, so they know how long the degree will take and what it will cost.
National University, the San Diego-based, Veteran-founded nonprofit, calls these learners ANDers™: professionals AND parents AND students at the same time. It offers four-week courses, and its student support hubs, called The Nest, pair on-site YMCA child care with study space and advising in San Diego and Escondido.
According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute’s February 2026 fact sheet on student parents, about 18% of U.S. undergraduates (around 3.14 million students) had at least one dependent child in the most recent national count. Roughly 60% of those student parents work full time while enrolled, and 74% are women.
PNPI also found that student parents graduate at lower rates than their classmates. Among undergraduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree, 19.3% of those students with dependent children graduated within six years, compared with 61.7% of students without children. The Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education 2026 study found that one in three enrolled students had considered stopping out in the past six months, and it named students with caretaking responsibilities among the groups at higher risk of leaving.
How many hours a week does an online course take for working parents?
A single four-week undergraduate course can take 33 or more hours a week. Under National University’s Credit Hour Policy, students spend just over 11 of those hours on class activities such as discussions, simulations, videos, and interaction with classmates and instructors. The remaining 22 or more go to reading, writing papers, creating presentations, and other homework. Because the University offers degree plans in both quarter and semester credit hours, weekly expectations vary by program, and an academic advisor can confirm the details for a specific degree.
The four-week format lets students take one course at a time, with one syllabus and one set of due dates. The total workload matches that of a longer course but fits into fewer weeks, so each week is busier.
Working parents can block out their job, commute, school pickups, and family time on a calendar to see where coursework fits. If there isn’t enough room, an enrollment advisor can help them choose a different pace or start date.
Approximately 70% of National University students take the majority of their classes online, so the same weekly math applies whether a parent studies from home or at a Nest location.
Where do children stay while a parent studies or attends class?
child care options vary by school. Some universities offer care on campus or through a community partner, some refer students to local providers or help cover costs, and others leave the arrangements to parents. Cost adds to the challenge. New America’s 2026 National Parent Survey found that child care averaged $13,184 per child nationwide in 2025. Among parents of children under 6 who said their current care falls short of what they need, 54% named cost as the biggest barrier.
If a university offers child care, parents can ask:
- How close it is to study and class space
- Which hours it covers
- Which ages it accepts
- How to reserve a spot
- What it costs and what happens on days it’s closed
National University offers on-site Kids Club child care through its partnership with the YMCA of San Diego County at The Nest at Escondido, which opened in September 2026 within the Escondido YMCA’s Campus for Community Well-Being. The first Nest, at the University’s Spectrum location in San Diego, also has a Kids Club, run by the Toby Wells YMCA.
The Escondido hub is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Advising and backup plans for when work or family interrupts a course
A family emergency or a sudden change in work schedules can interrupt a course at any point in a degree, so it helps student parents to know where to turn ahead of time. Student parents can find out who handles schedule changes at the university and whether a short pause or a later start date is an option for students facing special circumstances. The financial aid office can explain how each option would affect aid and remaining balances.
At National University, Orientation Peer Navigators from the Peer Navigator Network meet with new students one-on-one and during drop-in hours to help them learn university systems and find campus resources. Near San Diego and Escondido, The Nest offers in-person advising next to its study space, and The Nest at Escondido also provides financial aid planning. Students in other areas work with advisors and staff remotely. Additional services and support is available for online coursework as well.
“I meet a lot of parents who’ve already decided they’ll go back to school once their kids are older. But there’s rarely a perfect time, and life doesn’t get less full as children grow. When they see they can start with one course and get help along the way, many decide they don’t have to wait,” said J.B. Robinson, PhD, dean of students at National University.
Co-learning spaces for student parents at The Nest in San Diego and Escondido
Home isn’t always the easiest place to study, especially with kids around. A dedicated study space, with staff nearby to answer questions, gives student parents a place to focus on coursework.
The Nest is National University’s co-learning and community hub. Its locations include study areas and meeting rooms, Wi-Fi and loaner laptops, tutoring and writing help, career services, enrollment advising, and community programs with wellness and parenting resources. The Nest at Escondido also offers English as a Second Language (ESL) support, a computer testing center, and on-site classes for a cybersecurity degree cohort. Both locations reflect National University’s Whole Human Education™ approach, which is built on Learning, Support, and Value.
Students who live outside the San Diego area can still get help with their coursework. An advisor can explain which tutoring, writing, and advising services are available online. Many public libraries and community centers also offer a free quiet space to work and Wi-Fi close to home.
Transfer credits and financial aid set the timeline
Prior college credit can shorten the path to a degree, and more than 80% of National University undergraduates transfer in from other schools. The University’s pathways with the California Community Colleges and Dallas College set admission and credit terms for eligible students. A transfer evaluation shows how each earlier class applies to the degree, including which major requirements it meets. Some credits transfer as electives without counting toward the major, so the evaluation also shows which courses a student still needs to take. It is important to note that not all credits are transferable, so each student’s situation must be evaluated individually.
Financial aid starts with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Institutional scholarships, employer tuition assistance, and other benefits each set their own deadlines and rules for combining with other sources. The financial aid office can review them together and show the remaining balance. It can also explain whether an employer pays tuition up front or reimburses it after each course ends, which affects how much a student needs to cover at the start.
National University support for working parents, online and at The Nest
Working parents can take National University courses online or study in person at The Nest locations in San Diego and Escondido. The University serves 130,000 learners a year, including 50,000 degree-seeking students, and is one of 479 schools, roughly 16% of classified institutions nationwide, to earn the Carnegie Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation for Higher Access, Higher Earnings.
| Support Area | Available to online students | At The Nest (San Diego and Escondido) |
|---|---|---|
| Course schedule | Four-week and eight-week online classes; program availability varies by state | On-site classes for select programs, such as the Escondido cybersecurity cohort |
| Child care | Arranged locally by the student | Kids Club through YMCA partners |
| Advising | Enrollment advising, financial aid planning, and Orientation Peer Navigators | In-person advising next to study space |
| Study space | Online course access | Study areas, meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, and loaner laptops |
| Transfer credit and financial aid | Transfer evaluations and financial aid review | Transfer evaluations and financial aid review, plus on-site financial aid planning at The Nest at Escondido |
Parents who live near San Diego or Escondido can visit a Nest location and check Kids Club availability before they enroll. Parents in other areas can talk with an enrollment advisor about which services they can use online, and arrange child care and a study space that work for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A working parent maps out study time by fitting each course around their job and their kids’ routines. Parents on rotating shifts can look for online courses that don’t require logging in at set times. Arranging coverage for school pickups and other responsibilities during heavy study weeks helps when work runs late.
Dependable child care and an advisor who understands the student’s situation are useful for single parents returning to school. Without another adult to cover last-minute care, a single parent also needs a backup plan for sick days and sudden schedule changes. A financial aid review can show which sources of aid are available.
Yes. Universities, employers, community foundations, and private organizations offer awards for parent learners and others returning to school, and each sets its own eligibility rules and deadlines. Many need-based awards require filling out the FAFSA form, so filing it early gives a student more award opportunities to apply for. National University’s need-based Nuevo Futuro Scholarship publishes its full terms, including its FAFSA requirement and deadlines, so applicants can check whether they qualify.
Yes, if the course schedule leaves room for medical appointments and sudden changes. Caring for an older relative strains a schedule much like raising children does. National University’s four-week courses run one after another, so a caregiver tracks a single set of deadlines and can leave a gap between courses when care needs grow.
Slowing the pace can help. An advisor can show how a lighter schedule would affect the graduation date, and a financial aid counselor can provide insight into changes to aid. Students near San Diego or Escondido can also use the wellness and parenting programs at The Nest. Exhaustion or low mood that lasts for weeks should be raised with a doctor or counselor.
Help can come from several sources, starting with financial aid. Student parents can check whether dependent care costs are counted in the cost of attendance used to set their aid. Employers and local child care agencies may also offer assistance. National University’s Kids Club, offered with YMCA partners at both Nest locations, sets its own cost and enrollment terms, which families can get from the Nest location they plan to use.
Years at home with children don’t earn college credit on their own, though the scheduling, budgeting, and life skills they build can leave lasting impacts on a student’s coursework and career. Some universities award credit for prior learning through exams or portfolios that document college-level knowledge from jobs or volunteer leadership. Earlier college coursework is a common source of credit, and more than four in five National University undergraduates transfer in. An evaluation of past transcripts shows which courses count toward a student’s degree.
A short, factual explanation is enough. Noting that studies were paused to raise children and now is the time to finish a degree covers it. Time away is common among returning students, and the average National University undergraduate is 33. An enrollment advisor can confirm whether the application asks for an explanation and which transcripts to send.
