"It's a Choice".

Although a growing number of research universities have formal student-parent policies, many do not. Graduate student mothers attending institutions without student-parent policies must make decisions and exercise agency within this context. This work explores the sense of agency and decision making of ten graduate student mothers raising young children (under the age of five) while attending a research university without official student-parent policies. The findings demonstrate that women attempt to exercise their sense of agency by separating motherhood from school and by negotiating individual solutions to conflicts. Findings also indicate that the choices and agency exercised provide power in a temporary capacity but do not provide long-term power or control over schooling and family life. Overall, this research highlights the importance of formal policies and support for student mothers; without these policies, women's agency and their ability to participate fully in graduate school are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]