Scholar House supports single-parent students in Arizona

By Stacy Mantle
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As housing costs continue to climb and college completion rates stagnate among single-parent students, Maricopa Community Colleges is launching a new solution: a housing-education hybrid designed to address both challenges at once.

The Phoenix Scholar House, now under construction and slated to open in 2026, is a collaboration between Save the Family Foundation of Arizona and its first academic partner, Maricopa Community Colleges.

Modeled after the national Family Scholar House initiative used in nine U.S. cities, the program will provide 56 affordable apartment units paired with wraparound services that include on-site career development, parenting resources, financial literacy education and direct access to postsecondary pathways.

“This partnership is a powerful investment in the future of our health care workforce,” said Rochelle Rivas, district director of health care education for Maricopa Community Colleges. 

Education and housing leaders say the model could become a blueprint for reducing intergenerational poverty in Arizona.

"Phoenix Scholar House will redefine affordable housing — by starting with education first," said Robyn Julien, CEO of Save the Family. "We're an educational program with an affordable housing component. Affordable housing is critical, but it’s not enough on its own.”

The dual-purpose project is designed to serve a population often overlooked in higher education policy: student parents. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, more than one in five college students in the U.S. is raising a child. In Arizona, the challenges are even greater, with rapidly rising housing costs and limited affordable child care making education increasingly out of reach.

These students are disproportionately women of color and face steep barriers to degree completion, with fewer than one-third earning a degree within six years , according to MCC.

"By pairing stable homes with academic opportunity, we’re expanding the conversation to say: let’s not just house families— let’s provide them with a supportive community and a plan for the future," Julien said. "Because education isn’t just a path out of generational poverty — it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place."

The Scholar House model has served more than 106,000 households across the country. Arizona’s version will include affordable housing for qualifying student parents, on-site child care referrals, financial literacy training, career coaching and built-in connections to Maricopa Community Colleges’ academic and student success programs.

“Many of our health care students are single parents who face the daily challenge of balancing rigorous academic demands, caregiving responsibilities and financial pressures,” Rivas said. “Through Phoenix Scholar House, they will now have access to stable housing and supportive services that allow them to stay focused on their education and career goals. This initiative strengthens the pipeline of compassionate, skilled professionals our healthcare system urgently needs.”

The program launches against the backdrop of a deepening housing crisis in the Phoenix area. Median rent in Phoenix has increased nearly 26% since 2020, with average monthly rent now exceeding $1,950, according to Zillow data. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports  Arizona is short more than 138,000 affordable rental units for low-income households.

Meanwhile, the cost of attending college has grown well beyond tuition. In Arizona, the Maricopa Community Colleges system estimates students spend an average of $1,200 per month on living expenses, transportation and child care — costs not typically covered by financial aid. 

For student parents, these challenges are compounded. A 2023 report from Education Trust found 68% of student parents nationwide are housing insecure and 17% experience homelessness while enrolled in college.

"Last year, Save the Family provided more than half a million safe nights of sleep — an incredible milestone that reflects both the growing need and the growing impact of our work," said Julien. "Every one of those nights represents a child who slept without fear and a parent who could breathe a little easier. When we help provide that relief, there's space for a new conversation, about a future that is possible and within reach. It starts with education and career support. That is what Phoenix Scholar House is all about."

A blueprint for support

The Phoenix Scholar House wants to remove those barriers by aligning three areas of support under one roof: affordable housing, education and holistic services.

Participants will complete a pre-residential phase focused on stability before transitioning into the housing community, where they’ll gain access to child care referrals, academic success coaches and career services. The program aligns with Maricopa Community Colleges’ strategic commitment to equity and student success, adding to a growing portfolio of initiatives aimed at meeting learners’ basic needs.

The initiative is part of Maricopa Community Colleges’ broader strategic goal of improving student outcomes and closing equity gaps through targeted partnerships. In recent years, the system has expanded its Open Educational Resources program, launched a Free Tuition Initiative for eligible students and deepened ties with local nonprofits to support first-generation and low-income learners.

Maricopa Community Colleges, which serves about 140,000 students annually, is the first academic partner in the Phoenix Scholar House project. Leaders from Save the Family say they are seeking additional community, career and educational partners to expand the program’s impact.

“This partnership allows our students and their families to live in affordable and safe housing,” said Dr. Ray A. Ostos, district director of student affairs for Maricopa Community Colleges. “This support removes barriers and contributes to their academic success.”

What comes next

Advocates say the Phoenix Scholar House could inform future state or national policy. Similar programs in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio have received federal funding through HUD and via the Department of Education innovation grants. Lawmakers in several states are exploring how to integrate housing into higher ed policy more directly.

With construction already underway, the Phoenix Scholar House is expected to welcome its first residents in early 2026. Stakeholders say the model could serve as a template for statewide policy or future replication, especially in metro areas facing similar housing and education challenges.

Arizona education leaders will monitor outcomes closely, tracking student persistence, completion rates and long-term housing stability.

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.