Your Plans Are Still Yours
A school year can be mapped out through class schedules, assignment deadlines, work shifts, activities, and plans for what comes afterward. Then a late period or positive pregnancy test can make the future feel much less certain.
Before rewriting all those plans, begin with the question directly in front of you. At Pregnancy Care Center, you can begin with a no-cost pregnancy test and talk with someone who understands that school still matters. An advocate can help you focus on what you need today while keeping your goals in view.
Pregnancy and Your Right to Learn
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that protects pregnant and parenting students from discrimination at schools receiving federal funding.
A covered school must allow you to continue participating in classes and extracurricular activities. Participation in a separate program for pregnant students remains your choice.
Depending on your circumstances, your school may also be required to:
- Provide reasonable pregnancy-related adjustments
- Excuse medically necessary absences
- Give you opportunities to complete missed assignments
- Restore your academic and extracurricular status after medical leave
- Offer services provided to students with temporary medical conditions
- Address pregnancy-related harassment
These protections apply to many high schools, colleges, universities, and vocational programs.
Turn Your Rights Into a School Plan
Contact your school’s Title IX coordinator, counselor, academic adviser, or student services office. Ask specific questions about attendance, medical leave, assignment deadlines, remote learning, campus housing, and other adjustments related to your pregnancy.
Save emails, medical documentation, and notes from conversations with school officials. Clear records can help you keep track of requests and responses. The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights also provides information about filing a discrimination complaint.
Support for Life Outside the Classroom
School may be one part of what you are carrying. Pregnancy Care Center can also help you explore concerns involving finances, housing, transportation, relationships, childcare, or telling the people closest to you.
You can receive information about abortion, adoption, and parenting. An advocate can answer your questions and help connect you with relevant community resources.
Students considering parenting can also participate in the Thrive Education Program. BrightCourse lessons cover pregnancy, parenting, relationships, and practical life skills. Participation allows you to earn Boutique Bucks for available maternity and baby items.
Keep Building Your Future
The future you are working toward is still worth pursuing. Pregnancy Care Center can help you gather information, understand the support available, and create a path forward that considers both your present circumstances and the future you have been working toward.
