Women are more than twice as likely compared to men to obtain a bachelor’s degree by the age of 23, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor accounts women for close to half of the working population, and almost 75 percent of working females hold down a full-time job.

Anna Lott, co-director of the Center for Women’s Studies, said that the number of female students slightly outweighing the number of males at UNA could be due to a variety of factors.

“There are many possible reasons for women pursuing the degree, including the obvious financial advantage of having it, particularly in an economy where all members of a household have to work in order to pay the bills,” she said.

Candace Forbs, a volunteer at the Women’s Center on campus, is a non-traditional student and senior at UNA. Forbs, like many wives and mothers, had every intention to enter college earlier than she did.

“When girls marry young, many are pushed to believe their family is their only priority and that your school and dreams don’t matter or can wait,” said Forbs. “When you’ve been told that your whole life and you start believing that, it’s a very dangerous situation.”

Forbs said she worked different jobs from time to time, but without a college degree, finding a stable career was extremely difficult.

“I had a warped view of reality,” she said. “That little retail job wasn’t enough. Seven or eight bucks an hour sounds like a lot when you’re young, but when the bills are piling up and you’re financially independent, it just doesn’t add up quick enough.”

Although financial stability and pursuing a dream career is enough incentive for many women to graduate, Lott stressed that you gain so much more in the college experience. She believes the intangible advantages of having a degree are just as important.

“When students enroll at UNA or any university, they join an active community of thinkers and learners that will profoundly and irrevocably broaden their view of the world,” Lott said.

Forbs agreed, admitting when she first enrolled in college, it was to get in, get out and get a job. Now, with just a few classes separating her from a bachelor’s degree, she realizes she gained so much more at UNA.

“I’ve been able to sit with students from other countries and form friendships with them, get to know their culture and appreciate where they come from,” said Forbs. “I cherish those experiences, and I couldn’t have gotten them anywhere else.”

Lott said the percentage of women in the workplace is growing and the number of educated women is growing, but that the life experience women receive in college is of significant value as well.

“I’m not just Caleb’s mom or Sam’s wife,” added Forbs. “I’m somebody. College has given me a separate identity.”