The purpose of this study was to explore how women attending graduate degree programs in public universities in Virginia were affected by such issues as stress and lack of marital/social support. Utilizing a mixed method approach for data collection, 23 participants completed demographic data, an essay response, and the PSS-10 Stress Scale; 8 were chosen for further indepth, one-on-one interviewing. The outcome revealed an emergence of four major themes: (a) competition between success as a graduate student and family responsibilities/juggling, (b) onerous impact of graduate study and multiple responsibilities on emotional/physical health/self-care impairment, (c) existence of an inverse relationship between perceived stress and lack of marital/social support, and (d) resilience/a desire to finish. Recommendations of the current research include implementation of graduate student peer support resources, employer-based incentives, and graduate student lifestyle and stress management. Further research that addresses women and graduate student stress is noteworthy and essential to the advancement of women studies and adult education scholarly literature. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]