Will I lose my scholarship if I’m pregnant? What if I have a baby? What if I can’t participate this school year? Those are big questions that need an answer when the pregnancy test is accidentally positive. If you’re reading this, clearly, you work hard at athletics, academics, or the arts, and you rightfully don’t want all your hard work and dedication to go to “waste.”
No doubt, the answer to your questions will likely determine what decision you make for the outcome of your accidental pregnancy. It’s important you get a solid answer before assuming and rushing into any sort of decision. Lucky for you, we did research, and have the answers you’re wanting.
Keep reading below to find out about Title IX and exactly what rights you have.
Pregnancy and Title IX
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title IX is a federal statute that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title IX states:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” (source)
Simply put, you cannot be discriminated against because you get pregnant. Your place of education, if receiving federal funding, is required to do special things to protect you like:
- Make special accommodations for you like bigger desks, more bathroom breaks… etc.
- Provide forgiveness for late work and absences due to pregnancy related illnesses and childbirth
- Allow you to continue in extracurriculars even if you are pregnant
- Protect you from bullying for being pregnant
- Provide pregnant students the same special services it provides to students with temporary medical conditions. This includes homeschooling and tutoring.
Will I lose my scholarship if I’m pregnant?
Will I lose my scholarship if I am pregnant? No. In fact, it’s against the law for you to lose your scholarship if you are pregnant. According to Title IX, pregnancy is classified as a temporary medical condition or temporary medical disability.
The Avi Project, an organization that specifically helps women pregnant in college says this:
“Title IX and NCAA laws ensure that pregnant students have the same educational opportunities as any other student, including scholarship and financial aid opportunities. If a scholarship was revoked solely due to pregnancy, it would likely constitute unlawful discrimination.”
If you find that you’ve already been a victim of unlawful discrimination, there are options for justice. You can file a complaint by:
- Using your school’s internal Title IX grievance procedures.
- With the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), even if you have not filed a complaint with your school. If you file with OCR, make sure you do so within 180 days of when the discrimination took place.
- In court, even if you have not filed a complaint with your school or with OCR. (source)
All your Pregnancy options
You will not lose your scholarship if you’re pregnant. That being said, the good news is, you still have 3 options to choose.
You can choose: parenting abortion, or adoption. All three options have pros and cons, so before you make a choice, it’s important to really stop and think things through. It’s tempting to assume one choice is “easier” than the others, but that simply isn’t true.We recommend telling your coach, a trusted professor, or academic advisor before making any sort of decision. They will point you in the direction of someone at your place of education who can help give you specifics about what they can do to help. Remember, the decision is yours alone to make, but you shouldn’t make it alone. No matter which decision you make, it will be a part of your life story forever. Be sure that it’s a chapter you’re proud you wrote.
Our registered nurses are here to help you navigate your unexpected pregnancy with medical facts you can trust. Our pre-abortion screening is vital if you’re considering abortion as one of your options. We also offer pregnancy tests, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia tests with each positive test, limited ultrasounds, pregnancy options consultations, and abortion information. We’re experts in accidental pregnancy care, so you can trust us to be your safe place for support.
All of our services are offered to you at zero cost and are completely confidential. If you’re weighing your options or need to talk through Title IX, schedule your appointment with us today!