Maryland colleges must collect caregiving data and post student support plans

The Maryland Higher Education Commission must collect student-level data about students’ parental status from public colleges and universities. The questions cover whether a student is a parent or guardian, cares for a child of any age, the children’s ages, and the student’s caregiving responsibilities, including whether the student is a single parent or shares responsibilities. The University of Maryland Global Campus is excluded from this data-collection requirement. The Commission must submit its first report by September 1, 2027, and another by September 1 each year after that.

Public colleges and universities, including community colleges, must adopt and post a plan for pregnant and parenting students. The plan covers students who are pregnant, care for a child of any age, or share parental responsibilities with someone in the same or a different household. The plan must follow Title IX requirements and include referrals to government aid and health care, adoption information, and information about school accommodations. Each institution must post its plan on its website by October 1, 2026.

The law adds parental status to the definition of student data and authorizes sharing certain parental-status data with the Maryland Longitudinal Data System. Student data means information relating to or affecting student performance. Pregnancy status is excluded from the definition of student data. Information collected under the parental-status section is not considered a medical or health record for purposes of that definition.