Nontraditional students define a balance between studying and parenting
Frigid air blows throughout the classroom, forcing students to bundle up in jackets despite the mild temperature outside. No one pays much attention to the lone female student in the back, white blanket wrapped around her, paying rapt attention the professor and occasionally taking notes. To any passing stranger, it may seem she is cold from the air conditioning; but a small device is hidden her wrappings, quietly pumping breast milk.
College students are notorious for finding a balance between school and work, but for student mothers, several more responsibilities are added to the mix. The constant juggle between their families, studies and in most cases work earns them the title of a non-traditional student.
“Everyone has life goals, and mine has always been to finish my education so that I can pass on that knowledge to my child,” TWU student Tatheer Raza said. “While I was pregnant, I still went to school and even took 21 hours of coursework so that I won’t fall behind.”
Students with children have an additional financial burden, and unfortunately married students don’t have any specific scholarships or grants, according to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. However, both universities have a plethora of resources to help student parents, such as lactation rooms and child care systems.
“During breaks or even during class I pump milk with my nursing cover on,” Raza said. “It’s pretty discreet, I just sit in the very back and no one pays me any attention.”
More than a quarter of all undergraduate students in the U.S are raising dependent children, and many are doing so as a single parent, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Women make up 71 percent of all student parents and 43 percent are single, while single fathers make up 11 percent. But these students take their situations in stride and are more serious about completing their higher education.
“The biggest blessing from God is human life, when it comes your way just accept it and thank God,” Raza said. “Finish your education before anything, because nothing is impossible.”
