It can be hard enough to get through college, but it's even tougher for students who are also single parents.

The Single Parents and Displaced Homemakers Program at Kapi'olani Community College can help.

Program coordinator and counselor Cathy Wehrman said she has seen an increase in the number of single parents on campus in recent years.

"There's a larger percent than usual of parents who were laid off from work (who) are coming back to school," said Wehrman.

Due to the recession and struggling economy, many single parents come back to school to gain new career skills, Wehrman said.

"We had an info session (on Jan. 20). There was a woman who was working for four years and was recently let go from her job. Now she wants to come back to school to brush up and learn new skills and go in a new direction," said Wehrman.

The program provides financial aid as well as textbook assistance for single parents who return to school. Wehrman said a good many of the students are low-income, so they need the financial support. Other support services provided are childcare information and personal counseling.

Approximately 175 to 200 students are served in the program every semester.

The program used to get federal funding through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, which still supports the campus. However, different priorities have resulted in the loss of that funding source for this specialized program.

Wehrman said Mona Lee, dean of student services, has supported the program.

"She's helped pick up the slack where the federal money used to come in," Wehrman added.

A KCC student for two years, Yasuko Kato, 41, is a single mother of two children. Whenever she has to register for her classes, she has to work around a schedule for her kids.

"It's not easy to pick my classes," said Kato. "I have to manage my time. Sometimes my kids have events I need to go to and I have to pick them up every day. I also avoid classes on Fridays, especially now because sometimes they don't have school on Fridays because of the furlough."

Another challenge Kato faces is finding time to study.

"Sometimes I study at the library or I study at home. It's not easy at home because my children have demands. But if they see me studying, they're motivated to do their homework, too," she said.

If they have the money, one option that student parents have for their young children is to take them to the Alani Children's Center, located beside parking lot D.

The center provides early childhood care and education for children of the campus community, with priority given to continuing students, students who are single parents and those enrolled in nine or more credits. Full-time employees also qualify.

According to site coordinator Patricia Gooch, single parents are a group that the children's center keeps in mind while reviewing applications.

"About a quarter to a third of our parents are single," said Gooch.

Gooch advised those interested in sending their children there to be aware of the May 15 application deadline for next semester.