College Students Who Are Parents

Written by Will Glade and April McLane

Frat parties, prep rallies and late night cramming sessions are all things you would expect to see on a university campus here in the United States. But for a few among the student population, they are living a different lifestyle while attending college.

There are 4.8 million students in the United States that are trying to raise children while attending school, which is--surprisingly--a quarter of the undergraduates attending a university.

Infographic by Omar Trejo

Hans Linton, a student at Texas A&M said, “I wasn’t pulled away for all the social things that happen when you’re single.”  He said that he was focused and that there was a sense of obligation towards his work. This is an unseen benefit to those raising a child while attending an institution of higher education.

Many don’t realize the struggle that parent-students have while studying and trying to raise a child. When people think of traditional students, they think of the students partying on the weekend only to spend many late nights in the library during the week. As a parent, this sort of lifestyle is impossible while trying to be both a parent and a student. The ability to balance both school needs and the child’s needs is a difficult one to find.

Jane Doe, a current mother of six and student, said, “I’ll wake up at 5 in the morning so I’m not doing it all day long. Helps take the pressure off the children so they don’t feel it as much.”

Doe was worried about going back to get her degree due to the problems it could create with her family life. Although there are difficulties, Doe also said that she has gained time management skills which have allowed her to balance both aspects of her life.

Photo by Micah Wilkes

Many of these parents are single mothers and fathers who have to take care of their children and improve their academic situation to be able to provide better for their families. Students who have children are more likely to have low-incomes. According to a study done, single-parent students tend to have incomes at or below 200 percent poverty level.

This means that many of these students struggle to afford to pay for care for their children while they are at school. Many schools do not offer services for students who are parents.

This group of students often go unseen while on campuses around the country. It is easy for this minority to be absent in the minds of the other students and faculty on campus, and makes it hard to identify and provide for their needs.