Balancing Acts of Responsibility in Higher Education: The Challenges and Successes of Student-Parents in the Philippines

In college, education should not end when you become a parent. This study explicated the lived experiences of those college education students who became parents before graduation. The struggles and unheard voices of the student-parent are essential in creating recommendations and a management plan that can assist them in continuing what they started. This study utilized Heideggerian Phenomenology. This design is a qualitative study that explicates the lived experiences of the participants who are student-parents of the university. The sampling design utilized in this study was purposive sampling following established inclusion criteria to identify the participants of the study. The participants should be bonafide education students at Cebu Technological University – Moalboal Campus, should have a child or children, and should be living within Moalboal. 5 participants were interviewed. The data gathered were analyzed and interpreted using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) popularized by Moustakas and modified by Van Kaam. There were three emerging themes generated after the analysis. These are (Theme 1) The Pillar of Tenacity, (Theme 2) The Pillar of Tranquility, and (Theme 3) The Pillar of Inspiration. These themes are the reflection of the student-parents’ lived experiences. It is highly recommended that support programs be instituted to tailor-fit the needs of the student-parents in finishing their journey in college.