3003 Final- College Students with Children

College Students with Children

By Marley Dablo

            Students with children, which are considered non-traditional students, are a growing presence in higher education and the University of Oklahoma is working to incorporate programs and provide resources for these types of students.

Even though federal law prohibits universities from asking if a student is a parent, the student-parent demographic is one of the fastest growing. OU has begun implementing several programs and resources in order to address this increase.

According to the 2011 Wisconsin Financial Aid Study, national statistics indicate that among undergraduates enrolled in college in 2008, 23 percent had at least one child. Almost five percent had a child under the age of one, and 12 percent had at least one child under the age of five. This study also finds that students with children are disadvantaged due to financial reasons.

The Wisconsin Financial Aid Study reported, “One-third of low-income single women with children and slightly more than one quarter of low-income married women with children take more than 10 years to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

JoAnna Wall, a lecturer for the Women and Gender Studies Program at OU, said she thinks the most challenging aspect for parenting students is being able to balance school, family time and any other commitments. She also reiterated the financial struggle these students face.

“Over 45 percent of women in Oklahoma who do not have higher ed. degrees live in poverty and that plays a big role because if you don’t happen to live near campus and you have no money for gas, then you don’t come to class,” Wall said.

Through the Women and Gender Studies Program at OU, information and access to a program known as “SMART” or the Single Mothers Academic Resource Team, is now being spread throughout campus. The SMART program started at OU in March, but has been continuously funded since 2007 by the Women’s Foundation of Oklahoma. Additional support has come from other sources including the Oklahoma State Regents.

Wall, who is also the SMART program statewide coordinator, mentioned other ways the university supports students with children.

“Well I think that we offer a lot of support to them and we offer advice on how to complete their education…and we offer the only single parent scholarship in the state right now and that’s a really big deal,” Wall said.

Along with the SMART program, the OU Graduate College is working to improve its programming for graduate students with families. Abbie Allums, the Quality of Life Research Assistant, says the university has instituted several family and parent oriented programs for OU graduate students.

The graduate college incorporated a family orientation during welcome week that Allums said she hopes will continue next year. The college also hosted a parent’s night out during April, implemented a lactation room in Carnegie Hall for new mothers, and new seasonal events for parents and their children through the fitness and recreation center at OU.

“Things that we are currently working on or exploring are having a children’s room down at Kraettli apartments, which is the only housing where children can live on OU’s campus. We would like to see more clear family leave policies…and we are looking to continue expanding our programming and to really find out who these students are,” Allums said.

Allums commented on the most challenging aspect of being a parenting student.

“Well, I’m a parent to a dog and two cats so I don’t really have that experience, but typically when I talk to people who are student-parents [it] is really just trying to balance…trying to find the time to make sure that your children have normal upbringings,” Allums said.

Allums says she feels OU has made steps to improve and even though it hasn’t been a priority of OU culture until recently, she said there is a whole shift towards becoming a well-rounded institution.

Stephanie Matthews-Short, a full-time student and mother of two, said she has been learning to balance her time for six years now. Matthews-Short says it has become a natural routine for her and her children.

“I have my times allotted for schoolwork and my times allotted for the kids’ time. They don’t want to come home and see mom do homework all night long…once I walk into the house, that’s the kids’ time until they’re in bed asleep. You have to learn to be responsible with your time,” Matthews-Short said.

Matthews-Short also spoke about the financial aspect of having children.

“For us, as an adult, all you need is your lunch money…but with kids, you never know, day to day it’s a surprise. They may need five bucks for lunch, but who’s to say they don’t tear their shoes up at school and that’s another twenty-five [bucks]…It does get difficult, financially, when you have children, but I’m not saying it’s a big burden,” Matthews-Short said.

In the end, Matthews-Short said the most rewarding aspect of being a parenting student is being able to see her kids smile and be happy at the end of the day.

The Graduate College and the Women and Gender Studies Program at OU are working to improve the resources available to students. Representatives from each said they hope to improve programming and create a more inclusive community. Information about the SMART program can be accessed through the WGS department in Robertson Hall. The Graduate College is also located in Robertson Hall.

The video below demonstrates Stephanie Matthews-Short's experience as a full-time student and parent of two children. Stephanie has one boy and one girl and is studying to get her bachelors in psychology. VIDEO: Marley Dablo, Runs: 1:50