That's really strange about the student mw thing. I was going to have one when I planned on using government funded hb but when I changed to IM the student wasn't allowed to attend. Maybe it's a state to state thing or different universities?
I've asked a wonderful friend to be at this birth. She's had three of her own and her last was a homebirth. Shes super excited and has been reading doula books and talking on forums to prepare its lovely that's she's so into it all.