I got pregnant with my first child at 18 and my second at 20. I’m now a single mom of two and a full-time student. From the start, I’ve refused to become just another unfortunate teen mom statistic.
So far, UF has done nothing but make that a steep uphill battle every step of the way. The proposed block tuition is yet another obstacle it has put in my path.
To put it in perspective for my childless peers, daycare for two costs about $275 per week.
I spend more on daycare than on all other expenses combined, including tuition. I have a hard enough time making ends meet and putting food on the table without being charged an additional $500 per semester for classes I’m not taking, and that’s before the planned 15 percent tuition increase. As it is, I only have a couple hours a day with my kids; taking the additional class that block tuition would charge me for would leave us with even less time together.
Almost 80 percent of teen moms end up on government assistance.
Less than 2 percent earn a college degree by the age of 30. Block tuition would do nothing but make it even harder to overcome those odds and create a better life for my children and myself.
