When Trenton Amen decided to go out-of-state to attend college for his degree in aviation sciences, he didn't know he would be learning not only how to fly helicopters, but also how to deal with these hovering aircraft known as parents.

A recent report from www.CNN.com said over-involved parents are now recognized by students and professionals as "helicopter" or "hovering" parents, and Georgia Tech's director of admissions Ingrid Hayes said these types of moms and dads are becoming an even larger part of the college-admissions process each year, according to the Feb. 5 article.

"I come from an extremely close family, but I knew I wanted to get out on my own," Amen, a freshman professional pilot major, said. "And they were supportive of that - it's just been hard because I think my mom especially still wants to be a constant in my life."

According to the CNN report, Amen's parents are not the only ones struggling to turn loose of their child during the transition from high school to college.

The report, conducted by the National Survey of Student Engagement, found that 85 percent of first-year college students were in frequent contact with their mother via phone or computer, while 71 percent of freshmen communicated frequently with their fathers.

The report also recorded lower grades alongside the higher levels of parent involvement.

Carla Jones, senior associate dean of student life, said helicopter parents are a more recent phenomenon that professionals have just begun to address in about the last eight years. She said the Office of Student Life receives a varying number of calls from concerned parts - about one or two per week - requesting access to everything from students' academic profiles to their financial records.

"There are federal privacy laws that prohibit us from sharing this information with them," Jones said. "The only way we can give them access to a student's private profile like that, is if the student comes in and signs permission to let them see it. But we can't do that without the student's approval."

Jones also said she has received many phone calls and e-mails from parents and other relatives of students who are concerned about the students' well-being. For example, if the student is struggling in a class or is dealing with a personal issue, she said.

"When somebody contacts us like that, we take it seriously," Jones said. "We definitely always let the student know that 'Hey, someone is concerned about you,' and then we leave it up to them to decide what to do with it. But we also letthem know that we're here if they need anything."

However, Jones also said it's important for families, particularly parents, to recognize that their child needs to grow on their own and learn from these mistakes. She said she has even heard of some parents negotiating job contracts with their child's potential employer following graduation.

"This is only crippling the [child] from achieving success on their own," Jones said.

Rachel Robinson-Keilig, psychology intern with counseling services, agreed with Jones and said it is important for a child to gain independence and make their own decisions.

"If a parent impedes on this process, then it becomes problematic for everyone involved," she said.

Robinson-Keilig also said people need to keep in mind cultural differences when dealing with this issue.

"As typically white, middle-class students, our idea of independence is normal, but in other cultures, it does not always follow this standard," she said. "In some cultures, like in a Hispanic family, it's much more acceptable for the parents to be more involved with steps to being on your own."

Amen, however, said he knows that despite his parents' occasional "helicoptering" moments, he knows they do want him to make his own decisions and get through college without relying on them for total support.

"They've tried to do a pretty good job at cutting the cord," he said. "But it is nice to know I can call them for help or just to talk if I need to."