FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  |  Nov. 5, 2015

Chambersburg, Pa. — Wilson College is expanding its acclaimed Women with Children program—allowing single mothers to live in campus housing with their children—to include single fathers with children.

Wilson’s Board of Trustees voted on Oct. 24 to rename the program, which marks its 20th anniversary in 2016, the Wilson College Single Parent Scholar Program and to accept single fathers with children, effective immediately. The move completes the expansion of coeducation to all programs at the college and keeps Wilson in compliance under the federal Title IX law, which governs gender equity within education.

A recent study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that 26 percent of all undergraduate students are raising dependent children, including those who are married and single. Single mothers make up 43 percent of the total student-parent population, while single fathers make up 11 percent, according to the study.

Vice President for Student Development Mary Beth Williams said that during two campus forums held in August and September, Wilson students and staff expressed a desire to see the college expand the program. “Specifically, regarding the addition of men to the program, all those who attended both forums were in favor of adding opportunities for single fathers,” she said.

At Wilson, 17 women and 18 children are enrolled in the program in the current semester, living in two-room suites with private baths in Disert and Prentis Halls. The program is open to a maximum of 26 students, based on available space in the two residence halls. Students in the program may have up to two children who must be between the ages of 20 months and 12 years while their parent is enrolled in the program, according to Wilson Assistant Dean of Students Katie Kough, who oversees the program.

“Wilson’s Women with Children program has been a model within higher education and we look forward to continuing that legacy as we expand the program,” said Williams. “Giving single parents the opportunity for a residential college experience has benefits not only for the program’s students and their children, but also for the whole student population as well. The life experiences and perspectives that our single parents bring to campus life and the classroom enriches the Wilson experience for everyone.”

Wilson launched the Women with Children in 1996—one of the first programs of its kind in the nation—under the leadership of President Emerita Gwen Jensen, who was a strong proponent of the notion that single mothers would do better in college if they could reside on campus with their children. While living in residence hall suites with their children, program participants also share common spaces with other program residents, including a kitchen, playroom and computer room. Because of the living arrangements, students in the program are fully engaged with campus life—joining clubs, serving on student government and participating in athletics.

For Karalee Nichols, a senior who transferred to Wilson for the program in spring 2014, it allowed her and her son to move out of her parents’ home and become more independent. “I’ve become a better parent,” said Nichols, who is majoring in elementary education. She added that her son, now 5, is experiencing college in a way that few children his age do. “I’m setting an example for him,” she said. “The kids love being on campus. ‘I go to college’—that’s what they all say.”

Through the generosity of Wilson donors, the college provides scholarship opportunities for qualified students enrolled in the program and subsidizes childcare for those in the program through the Wilson College Child Care Center.

According to Kough, eight other colleges across the nation have similar, undergraduate residential programs for single parents, including: Endicott College in Massachusetts, Eastern Michigan University and Ferris State University in Michigan, Dillard University in Louisiana and Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio—all of which have programs for single mothers and fathers.

Anyone interested in enrolling in the Wilson College Single Parent Scholar Program should contact the college admissions office at 1-800-421-8402 or admissions@wilson.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT:           
Cathy Mentzer, Manager of Media Relations
Phone: 717-262-2604
Email: cathy.mentzer@wilson.edu

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Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 29 majors and master’s degrees in education, the humanities, accountancy, nursing, fine arts and healthcare management for sustainability. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation.

Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college has a fall 2015 enrollment of 923, which includes students from 22 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.