• Name: Meera*
• PhD Programme: School for Policy Studies
• Type of study: Full-time study (required by Turkish funding body)
• Duration: 2014-2022
• University: University of Bristol
• Children: One child (was pregnant during 4th year of PhD)
• Childcare: Nursery 3-days per week
• Stipend: £1000-£1100
• Nursery fees: University nursery offered a discount to PhD students

Meera’s* story:

“I wanted to study for my PhD because I am passionate about improving the lives of children and young people. My parents divorced when I was a child, and my research focused on the experiences of children of divorced parents in Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Before beginning my studies in England, I was studying for an MPhil degree as a research assistant in Türkiye. I then came to the UK to work towards my MRes and PhD.

I became pregnant during the fourth year of my studies. I wanted to finish my research and complete my PhD as soon as possible. However, when I had my son in 2017, I had an extremely difficult labour, which meant that I was unable to walk for four months afterwards. I wasn’t eligible for any maternity leave payments, so we had to rely on my partner’s income and some government benefits. My husband also had to return to work just two weeks after our son was born, which was challenging as my son had many health issues, requiring frequent trips to the hospital.

Balancing childcare with my studies was very challenging. I was under a lot of pressure from my sponsors to complete my studies. After being on a waiting list for a year, my son was able to attend nursery for three days a week, and he continued to have some health issues. I was excited to return to my studies; however, my son wasn’t eligible to receive free childcare until he was three years old, causing significant financial pressure. Although I was under pressure from my sponsors to finish my PhD, I had to contact my supervisors to request an extension from the school. I was extremely stressed, to the point where I considered quitting my PhD. During the COVID-19 lockdown, it was only when I discussed my situation with my supervisors that they realised I wasn’t eligible for free childcare or financial support. During the lockdown, we still needed to pay the nursery to keep our son’s place, even though the children were not attending. My supervisors wrote a letter to my son’s nursery, and I was then able to access some subsidised childcare.

Despite this, I still found the whole process extremely difficult and questioned whether I could handle being a mum and studying for my PhD simultaneously. My relationship with my husband was affected, and the stress triggered several health issues. I had to take several breaks throughout my PhD, which means that, on paper, it looks like it took me a long time to complete.

At the start of my PhD, I couldn’t take on any paid work to help ease the financial strain, as my PhD funders stipulated that I needed to be studying full-time. I managed to work before having my son; however, due to health issues, I could not work after he was born. With the little money we had for childcare, we could only send him to the nursery three days a week, where I needed to be a full-time PhD student on paper. After my son turned three, I finally managed to return to my studies full-time. To finalise my PhD, I had to work all hours, sometimes returning from the library at 4 or 5 am to meet deadlines. This had negative consequences for our family life and my well-being, but I had no choice but to finish my PhD as soon as possible to start working. We don’t have any family in the UK to support us. I found the experience challenging and missed my son a lot. We somehow managed to survive, but this was not because we received any additional support.

The cost of childcare really impacted my ability to study effectively, and I was left questioning my choices. I love the UK, but being funded by the Turkish government, I felt alone in navigating a lot of red-tape between the two countries without much support and guidance. When I needed to ask for extra support, I was made to feel like I was expecting too much, which was very frustrating.

I think the UK government, university policymakers, and figures in academia should consider the childcare pressures faced by many postgraduate students and the pressure it puts on PGRs. They need to look after their children, without childcare support, while also focusing on their studies, despite facing many other challenges. It’s great that GW4 is opening discussions around this issue. I fully support GW4’s campaign to enhance childcare provisions. Expanding the undergraduate childcare grant is a positive step. Additionally, I think urging the government to extend free childcare hours to postgraduate students is important, ensuring no parent has to choose between their education and their own and their child’s well-being.

The average age for pursuing a PhD often coincides with wanting to start a family. I was lucky to have a partner who could help support us financially; however, relying on this made me feel uncomfortable. I also think that there are people whose children have special educational needs and/or whose family situations are not as stable, potentially leaving them at risk of issues like abusive partners and financial control.

My experiences have left me feeling quite scared and traumatised. Had I known the challenges I would face in accessing support to pay for childcare or the barriers to affordable childcare schemes, I think I would have waited to have a child until after I completed my PhD.”

*Published under a pseudonym. Content correct as of February 2024.