Lived Experiences of Muslim College Students in Navigating the Dual Roles of Marriage and Academic Life

This descriptive phenomenological study explored how ten married Muslim college students navigated marital responsibilities and academic life at Bangsamoro Kulliyyah for Islamic Studies in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. Purposively selected Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies students completed individual semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 45–60 minutes over one month. Colaizzi’s seven-step method guided manual analysis, and selected participants confirmed the synthesized findings. Six themes emerged: Reordered Priorities and Expanded Adult Responsibilities; Academic Disruption Amid Persistence; Financial Strain and Time Pressure Across Dual Roles; Faith and Sabr as Anchors Amid Competing Demands; Relational and Institutional Support Sustaining Education; and Adaptive Coping and Family-Oriented Educational Commitment. Marriage reorganized priorities and exposed participation to caregiving, work, financial, and time pressures. Disrupted participation did not necessarily signify diminished educational commitment. Faith, practical coping, family assistance, and responsive teachers helped sustain study. The essence was negotiated educational continuity: students repeatedly adjusted resources and routines as education acquired meaning for the family’s future. The findings informed a proposed Culturally Responsive Support Framework integrating academic flexibility, family engagement, faith-sensitive guidance, coping assistance, financial referral, and early retention support. The framework requires expert review, pilot implementation, and evaluation.