College students who are parents to one or more children face unique challenges on their path to graduation, which may result in disproportionately higher levels of stress compared with their non-parenting counterparts. The purpose of this study is to conduct a quantitative needs-assessment of student-parents at a mid-sized university in the southeastern United States using the Instructor-led Research Capstone project model. Results indicate that, overall, student-parents at the university feel supported by the institution but still experience moderate levels of social, academic, and financial stress. Moreover, important differences exist in the experiences of undergraduate- and graduate-level student-parents, which shapes their interest in different types of potential on-campus resources. The structure, implementation, and benefits of the applied capstone course are also discussed. By engaging sociology seniors in undergraduate research related to an underserved population on their own campus, the capstone underscored the relevance and impact of sociology for creating positive social change.
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