EKU Student Parents Tips for Success

Wendy Barnett
Nov 5 · 3 min read

Non-traditional college students sometimes face tougher challenges in life, especially single parents. Student parents working towards receiving their degree not only have classes to attend and homework to complete, but they also must do all of that while raising a child and working. Director of the Center for Student Parents at Eastern Kentucky University Robyn Moreland says that student parents who receive state benefits are at high risk of not being successful in college. Her program works toward helping these students to complete their degrees.

“Our program wraps them in resources and provides supportive services as well as work study positions on campus to help support them through their college journey,” said Moreland.

Moreland said that low income households typically have a single mother as the head of household. The Center for Student Parents has a bigger overall goal in mind.

“Educating and getting mothers into the workforce with good jobs that pay a good income, help to move families out of poverty,” said Moreland.

Although Eastern Kentucky University hasn’t completed their data on student parent statistics, a report from the Institute for Women’s Research shows 22% of undergraduate college students have children. A 2016 national report shows that the number of student parents has steadily grown, even though the number of on-campus resources has declined.

The Center for Student Parents and The Eastern Scholar House are two resources at Eastern Kentucky University that work closely together, combining their efforts for student parents to complete their degrees.

Eastern Scholar House Program Director Melissa Gross says that the biggest issue she sees for student parents is scheduling, planning, and time management.

“We can lay out a perfect day [for a student,] but we know the day never ever goes that way. How do you regroup when you have deadlines already? How do you not get discouraged? How do you get back on track with classes when your child developed something that caused you to be away from school for three days?”

The program helps student parents get back on track and stay on the path for success in college, but also how to navigate life once out of college. Gross says her program teaches student parents how to make a schedule and stick to it.

“Make your day start just like you had a job. Get up at the same time every day, and try to keep that routine going through your week as long as you possible can,” said Gross.

Gross says that being healthy physically and mentally is important for student parents. While balancing school, work, and a family, it’s easy for single parents to forget about their own needs. Student parent and sophomore in Pre-Nursing Makayla Barrentine says that the best advice she could give a new student parent is to focus on the goal of completing school.

“Don’t let other people affect your future,” said Barrentine. “I was concerned with a boyfriend or friends and things that had nothing to do with my future, like in the bigger picture. I would let that distract me and I wouldn’t do my homework or study as much as I needed to. Make sure your priorities are straight. Write down what’s the most important thing in your life. Cut out the barriers that are blocking you from that.”

Barrentine said that as a single parent, the Eastern Scholar House and Center for Student Parents have been very helpful in her college career.

“I honestly don’t know how I would do it without these programs, because now I have the support,” said Barrentine. “That’s what’s so good about our community is that everybody here has gone through what you’re going through, so if you’re having a bad day or your kid gets sick, you can always come down to the office and talk to the people who are here to support you.”

Robyn Moreland will be speaking at the Gen1 Conference Friday, November 8, 2019 at Eastern Kentucky University. The Gen1 Conference is two days of speakers on first generation college students. More information at this website: www.firstgen.eku.edu

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