DATA ON PARENTING STUDENTS IN HIGHER ED.

Senate Memorial 16 (SM 16) requests New Mexico's Higher Education Department to convene a task force to study data collection on parenting students in the state's colleges and universities. The task force, including student representatives, tribal college staff, and education experts, must develop a standard definition of "parenting student" (a student with primary caregiving responsibilities for a dependent child) and recommend consistent data collection methods across institutions. It will assess current practices and propose specific, actionable strategies - like gathering parenting status data each academic term - to better identify barriers these students face. The task force must submit its report with recommendations to the legislature by November 2026.