In This Issue
Study Examines Obstacles Facing Student Parents
U of G report is first comprehensive analysis of Canada's student-parent population
BY DEIRDRE HEALEY
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| Graduate students Trudy Smit Quosai, left, and Tricia van Rhijn are studying the lives of student parents like themselves. They're shown here with Smit Quosai's sons, Peter, 13, and Willem, 11, and van Rhijn's sons, Alex, 16, and Nick, 13. Photo by Martin Schwalbe |
Graduate students Trudy Smit Quosai and Tricia van Rhijn aren't just doing research on student parents — they're living it. Both women are juggling their studies with raising a family.
Smit Quosai, a master's graduate of OAC and a former student adviser in the Centre for Students With Disabilities, returned to university after being away for 10 years and is working on a PhD in family relations while raising two boys, 11 and 13.
Van Rhijn left in the middle of her undergraduate program in child studies in 1992 when she became pregnant with her first son. Now a mother of two boys aged 13 and 16, she returned to university in 2004, completed her undergraduate degree and is now working on a master's in family relations and human development.
Both researchers agree that motherhood adds some unique challenges that the typical university student doesn't experience.
“You have a lot more time constraints,” says van Rhijn. “Group projects are a real problem because you can't just meet any time. Some students live in residence and can simply go to the library to meet with classmates, but when you have kids at home, you can't just pick up and go.”
The biggest struggle for Smit Quosai is finding enough daylight hours to do schoolwork. “I find I'm always doing work after the kids are in bed, and by that time I'm tired. I feel lucky when I can find an afternoon to sit down and work on my research.”
And finding time to do things for yourself such as going to the gym often get pushed right off the priority list, she adds.
These kinds of challenges were echoed by the many student parents surveyed for a report Smit Quosai and van Rhijn recently completed with Prof. Donna Lero, Family Relations and Human Nutrition, for Human Resources and Social Development Canada. The study was done at the Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being as one of many projects that explore how people manage multiple roles.
The report examines trends in student-parent participation in college and undergraduate programs over the past 30 years and is the first comprehensive analysis of Canada's student-parent population.
“There has been research on aboriginal students, immigrant students and students who are the first generation in their family to go to college or university, but student parents haven't been on the radar,” says Smit Quosai. “This is surprising because they make up a significant proportion of the college and university population.”
Currently about one in seven post-secondary students are parents, and this number is expected to rise.
“Parents are returning to school for many reasons,” she says. “They may be re-entering the job market, may need to upgrade their skills because of technological advances or may have immigrated to Canada and need to align their credentials. Parents are also more motivated to attend post-secondary school now because they know if they go, it's more likely their children will go.”
In their survey of student parents, the researchers found that a majority of them are women, with most between the ages of 30 and 44. Compared with their non-parent counterparts, they are more likely to drop out, go to school part time, incur higher education-related debts, interrupt their schooling and work more hours while studying.
Some of these findings may seem obvious, but they help in understanding the obstacles this group is facing when returning to school, says van Rhijn.
One of the biggest challenges is that student parents don't fit into the current funding model when it comes to obtaining loans, grants and scholarships.
“For example, students may have limited access to government loans if they study part time or if they have resources such as RRSPs,” says Smit Quosai. “In some cases, returning to school means giving up other financial aid such as social assistance. This can be a major deterrent to attending post-secondary programs.”
She says government and post-secondary institutions need to enhance loan and bursary programs for part-time students. There's also a need for accessible child care and after-school programs, she says.
In addition, the researchers found that student parents need more flexibility in class offerings and strong support networks both at school and in their personal life.
“Post-secondary institutions could support informal networks for student parents where they can share information and coping strategies such as time-management tips,” says Smit Quosai.
Both she and van Rhijn are expanding on this report with two separate research studies.
Smit Quosai is analysing in-depth interviews with 40 student parents to further her understanding of this cohort's experiences and challenges. She's also looking at the diversity that exists among student parents, such as whether they have a partner, are receiving financial assistance or are attending university or college.
“I hope my research will eventually lead to the development of policies and resources that will make the process of returning to school a seamless one for student parents.”
Van Rhijn is set to begin a project that will examine the work/life balance of student parents and how schooling and family affect each other. She hopes her findings will lead to policies, programs and resources that will increase the likelihood of student parents completing their programs and make returning to school a more positive experience.
“I'm looking at their psychological well-being and quality of life. Student parents experience a lot more conflicts than the average student. They face more time constraints and often experience psychological spillover. They may be at home with their family but are thinking about an upcoming assignment. The fewer conflicts they have, the better their quality of life and the more successful they will be.”
Van Rhijn is still looking for participants for her study. She needs undergraduate student parents who are enrolled either part time or full time and have at least one child under 18.
Participants will be asked to complete an anonymous online survey and can enter a draw to win a $100 gift certificate for completing it.
To participate in the survey, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=9m6K8DFiG9dS2gBwyTiRww_3d_3d. To contact van Rhijn, send e-mail to tvanrhij@uoguelph.ca.