Help Is Here
This article will provide you with information about useful support systems, resources, and laws to help pregnant students and students with children.
Being overwhelmed can be managed by getting accurate information, useful practical resources, predictable financial support, and close emotional support.
Your Story & Your Peers
It’s real, being pregnant in school, or a full-time parent in school—it is an enormous undertaking, and that’s an understatement.
One in five undergraduates are parents—a total of 4 million college students! Of the student parents, 70 percent are women and just over half have children that are preschool age or younger.1
Some of the classmates working alongside you may be parents—so you are in good company. These students are working incredibly hard and one third are reported to have over a 3.5 GPA.1
So, there is hope and it is possible to succeed. Many people are doing it and doing it well. What is important is to get a support system and resources to around you to provide you help.
Your Rights as a Pregnant Student
If you are afraid of what your professor will think or that you’ll be treated unfairly, be comforted that you are legally and ethically protected. Also, teachers and administrators do tend to be sensitive to and helpful with students with children, since they have had parents, and many are parents themselves.
Under United States Title IX, a law that was put into place specifically to protect you from being discriminated against as a pregnant student—teachers and administrative staff are required to make specific arrangements to help you successfully further your education. This may include changing where you sit in class, rescheduling an exam, and specific adjustments to your course schedule. Read about your student pregnancy rights.2
Is there help with Childcare?
This is one of the primary concerns of parents going to college, and for good reason. You want to know that your child is being cared for and is in good hands. Child care can be expensive and may seem unrealistic when it comes to your current budget. Thankfully, the government provides assistance in this area.
The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program is specifically designed to provide low income students in college, trade, and vocational schools with access to childcare. If you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, then that means you! Applications usually open in the beginning of March and are due in the beginning of June. Apply here.
Is there help with Food?
Government programs through WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), help supplement the cost of food for those who meet certain income and resource limits. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is in each state and can help you stock your refrigerator and cabinets with healthy food. See if you qualify here.
You can also contact your local WIC office if you need assistance with housing. They will provide you with the resources you need to help keep a roof over your head. Get more information.
More Support – Emotional, Situational, Parenting
Being with people that have been or are currently in a similar situation can be helpful when navigating your way through this season of your life.
At CAPS Pregnancy + Medical Clinics we offer FREE parenting classes for single moms and couples, many of which are college aged. If you feel alone, you don’t have to go it alone. We’re available, to listen, and to help.
There are many non-profits, community based, and faith-based organizations that can help provide resources for childcare, parenting, and day to day assistance with the practicalities of life. CAPS has some referral resources.
Reach Out to Get Help
For questions or help, contact us at any of the San Diego area clinic locations, call us at 619-337-8080, or schedule an appointment.
Citations
1 Cruse, L. R. (2019, April 11). Parents in College By the Numbers – IWPR 2020. IWPR 2020. https://iwpr.org/iwpr-issues/student-parent-success-initiative/parents-in-college-by-the-numbers/
2 Know Your Rights: Pregnant or Parenting? Title IX Protects You From Discrimination At School. (n.d.). Home | U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved July 16, 2021, from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-know-rights-201306-title-ix.html