UA new-traditional student population growing

Brian D. Rothschild Arizona Daily Wildcat Distractions come easy for Dana Chernoy, a 27-year-old sophomore studying pharmacy and single parent of 17-month-old Anne.

George Eliot's quote hangs in large letters on the notice board at the Drop-In Center for new-traditional students.

The students studying in this room testify to the truth of this saying. They are a group of new-traditional students as diverse in age, culture and background as they can get.

A new-traditional student is any University of Arizona student over the age of 25. A student under 25 who is married or a parent is also considered a new-traditional student.

"These days it takes so long to get through school anyway, some students start off as traditional but don't finish undergraduate studies until they are 25 or 26," said Ann Wolnick, the associate director for student programs.

She said the term new-traditional students came up last year to replace the term non- traditional students which was commonly used.

"They didn't like being called non anything," she said. They found the term excluding and so they came up with the new term. Since then the term has been in use more often nationally, Wolnick said.

In the Drop-In Center, on the third floor of the Memorial Student Union, all heads are bent over books. No one wants to make time in their busy schedule to give an interview.

"I've had a typical day," said Dana Chernoy, the 27-year-old mother of a 17-month-old toddler. "Between classes, lab, volunteer work and picking up my daughter, I just can't make time to talk."

She finally agrees to give a five minute interview.

"I'm divorced," Chernoy said. "So, everything from grocery shopping to my daughter's needs to my needs ƒ it's just me. Without good daycare many of us wouldn't be able to do this. I wouldn't be in school," Chernoy said.

Chernoy, a sophomore studying pharmacy, talked about how being a mother can affect a student's performance and the financial challenges new-traditional students face.

"Whether you graduate doesn't depend wholly on intellect," she said. "If your kid gets sick, or other things happen that you're not fully in control of, it may have you getting lower grades."

Then financial aid is geared to the typical 18-year-old student, Chernoy said. Students who are parents need a subsidy, but the waiting list is long.

Mimi Gray, the coordinator of the Office of Child Care and Family Resources, said, "We have a small financial-assistance plan to help students pay for child care. The younger the child is, the more expensive the child care. The financial aid is given out on a first-come, first-served basis because there isn't enough to go around."

The Cats n' Cubs club, a club for student parents is in the forefront of advocating for subsidized daycare for student parents.

"This university is one of the few without subsidized day care," said Caroline Sizer, the president of the club and mother of a 3-year-old child. The club also advocates for student parent rights "like when you go to class late because of parenting responsibilities," Sizer said.

"Last year our club won an award for originality in the Homecoming parade because our kids in strollers made it more colorful," she said. "Some parents don't join the club because they think that they have to attend meetings and they just don't have time. But it's more of a support group to help each other. Activities are low budget as most of the children are under 10 years old," she said.

Each year the number of new-traditional students enrolling at the university grows. Forty- nine percent of enrolling undergraduate students are new-traditional. Wolnick attributes this to career changes.

Wolnick also attributes it to economics - the financial aid packages coming in. "Right from the president (of the United States) the message is if you want to go to school the money is there."