Students with Children

Information for Students With Children

Quick Links

• Childcare & Education
• Financial Aid
• Family Programs & Events
• Graduate Academic Policies & Procedures
• Living at Stanford With Children
• Basic Needs Resources
• Parking & Transportation Services

Childcare & Education

WorkLife Office

The WorkLife Office provides a comprehensive portfolio of services and resources for Stanford students, faculty and staff. 

Services Inclusive of Graduate Students

• Early Childhood Education Program (On Campus)
• Early Childhood Education Program (Off Campus)
• School Aged Resources
• Summer Camp and Activities
• Lactation Policy and Support

Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)

Parents with older children can enroll their children within the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). The registration requirements and process is available on their website and the office provides extensive support to assist with getting your child(ren) registered. For on-campus residents who need a rental verification letter, please log into the myHousing portal and select "My Requests" link to retrieve your rental verification letter.

Financial Aid

The Graduate Family Grant will provide up to $20,000 per year per family to eligible graduate students with dependent children. Funds may be used flexibly as needed to cover expenses such as childcare, healthcare and rent. Awards will be disbursed via the student’s account and are considered taxable income. More details can be found on the financial aid website. 

The application form for the upcoming academic year will be available starting August 1st. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please allow at least two weeks for application review.

• Students are eligible for one grant per family, per year (September 1 through August 31).
• Special note for families living in Escondido Village with 2 or more children:  You are also applying for the Escondido Village Family Fund (EVFF) with the Graduate Family Grant application. If you meet the criteria for the EVFF, a portion of your grant will be funded by this endowed fund per the donors’ wishes. The total of both awards will not exceed $20,000.

Family Programs & Events

Grad-wide Events for Families

The Graduate Life Office Community Associates partner with many departments to bring resources and programs to all graduate students with children year around. Our partners include the Graduate Student Council (GSC), the WorkLife Office, the Office of the Provost, Stanford University Department of Public Safety (SUDPS), and more.

Events include:

• SUDPS BBQ for Families (August)
• Pumpkin Patch (October)
• Annual Provost's Egg Roll (March)
• Annual Family Carnival (May)

Courtyard Programs

Each courtyard hosts a variety of local programs based on the interest of the community.

• Family Movie Nights
• Kick-off to Summer Party
• Courtyard Clean-ups
• Weekly Story time and Playgroups
• Family Dinners

Graduate Academic Policies & Procedures

The Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures handbook (the GAP) is a compilation of university policies and other information related to the academic progress of Stanford graduate students, from their application and admission to the conferral of degrees and retention of records. See VPGE's "Expecting a new child: A step-by-step guide to preparing to welcome a new child while at Stanford."

Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures (GAP)

Policy Links

5.9 Pregnancy, Childbirth, Adoption and Lactation

6.1.1 Graduate Tuition Categories: Policy

7.1.1 General Funding Guidelines and Definitions: Policy

Living at Stanford With Children

Graduate Family Housing

Family Courtyard Communities

Graduate students with children desiring to live on campus are assigned to Escondido Village in one of the five family-courtyard communities. The courtyards are home to over 200 Stanford students, their spouses/partners and children. Each courtyard consists of two-story townhouse-style apartments with an enclosed playground for children. Courtyards are supported by Community Associates (CAs) hired by the Graduate Life Office (GLO), who are graduate students or spouse/partners whose primary purpose is to build a sense of community for residents.  CAs welcome residents to the community and serve as a point of contact for residents needing support and resources. CAs also bring residents together by offering programs and events suited for all members of the family.

Note: The five family courtyards are supported through collaborative partnerships with R&DE Housing Service Centers. If you are experiencing safety or facilities issues such as broken plumbing, power outage, inability to secure a locking door, broken window/glass, etc. that require emergency maintenance or that occur outside of regular Housing Service Center business hours, call: (650) 725-1602. 

The Five Family Courtyards

• Abrams - approximately 50 families
• Barnes - approximately 63 families
• Hulme - approximately 80 families
• Thoburn - approximately 25 families
• EV South - approximately 41 families

Stanford students living on campus are automatically included in communication sent from the Housing Service Centers. We highly recommend that non-student spouse/partners also opt-in to the email list to receive important communication from housing by calling or visiting the Housing Service Centers. CAs in each courtyard maintain their own local listservs which you can opt-in or opt-out. For additional information about Graduate Housing and living on campus, please visit Residential and Dining Enterprises.

Basic Needs Resources

Review campus and community resources that are available for students who need assistance managing their basic needs. Student Care Coordinators are also available to assist you in navigating these and other resources.

Parking & Transportation Services

Graduate students who plan to have a car while living on campus are required to purchase a residential parking permit from Parking and Transportation Services (P&TS). Graduate Students living on campus with children have access to “EVF” permits. Students are allowed to purchase a maximum of two parking permits. Access to additional parking permits may require parking further away from Escondido Village. Stanford also offers free transportation around campus and to specific off campus locations via the Marguerite Shuttle. Stanford is ranked as a Platinum Bicycle Friendly University with many students, faculty and staff using bicycles to navigate the community. The P&TS website has helpful information on bicycle safety and maintenance on campus.