After losing Off Campus and Adult Student Services to budget cuts last fall, adult and non-traditional students are struggling to find resources on campus.

“It’s more difficult to find help now,” said Penny Rice, former coordinator of OCASS. “It’s a disadvantage to not have one person or a group to contact.”

Rice said the population of non-traditional students at Iowa State is shrinking.

Eight percent of the student-body is non-traditional students, she said.

When the nation is having economic problems, as it is now, non-traditional enrollment usually increases, she said.

Pete Englin, dean of students, said many services provided by OCASS can now be found through the Dean of Students Office.

Students can find housing listings at www.rentiowa.com and legal matters can be handled through Student Legal Services, he said.

Englin said he doesn’t believe enrollment has decreased as a result of OCASS’ closing.

Wesley Hamstreet, senior in LAS-open option, said finding “decent” child care is extremely challenging to a non-traditional student.

Being a single parent and full-time student has taken its financial toll on his family, he said. Hamstreet said being audited by financial aid services postponed his loan receipt by two weeks, leaving him struggling to finance child care, books, gas and groceries.

Rebecca Brokaw, senior in music, said she empathizes with students like Hamstreet.

“If I had a family, it would be more difficult [to live without the OCASS office],” she said. But, Brokaw said her familiarity with campus resources helps a lot.

Both Englin and Hamstreet said they are attempting to resurrect OCASS.

The return of OCASS would “not only help, but be an additional voice,” Hamstreet said.

“It would give us a position [in the administration] when we have a problem.”

Until OCASS is reopened, Hamstreet said he participates in Older Students Succeeding In School (OASIS), a support and resource group for older and non-traditional students.

Hamstreet said, because non-traditional students are the ones with the least time and money, they “need a common ground area” where they can “lock the books away,” he said.