Baylor University creates scholarship for pregnant and parenting students

A pro-life group at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has created a scholarship specifically for pregnant and parenting students. According to the school’s newspaper, the Baylor Lariat, the “Pregnant and Parenting Scholarship,” is “open to men and women in need of assistance and resources.”

The campus group, called Bears for Life, fights for the preborn and an end to abortion, but they are also strong advocates for parents on campus and they want to encourage women who may feel pressure to quit school because of a pregnancy. “For a while, Baylor told women that they could not be pregnant on campus,” said Caroline Carney, the group’s public relations officer. “Since that has been changed, unfortunately, there has still been a continued belief that that is true and more of a stigma on campus.”

For now, the need-based scholarship is currently $1,000 per semester, but students say that amount could increase depending on funding. And money isn’t the only help being offered.

READ: Love Them Both: 8 ways to help students who are pregnant or parenting

“Students can receive $1,000 or more paid directly to their student account,” said Joy Moore, the director of operations. “They would report it just like any other outside scholarship with the outside scholarship reporting form. That is the financial compensation, but the goal is that once we are in touch with students, we can direct them to some of the outside resources we have. One of our big partners is the Care Net Pregnancy Center, so they can go to them for free diapers or discount diapers or connect them to affordable daycare options that can work with their crazy student schedule.”

Providing a scholarship and tangible help is just one of the ways to provide support for students who are pregnant or parenting, and it’s a necessary ministry. Far too many women are told that they can’t graduate college if they have a child, and that simply isn’t true. Many women have proved that it is possible, like Brianna Williams, who graduated from Harvard Law School with her one-year-old daughter in tow, and Cassie Juste, who also graduated law school with a young son.

In fact, one in five undergraduate students are parenting children, yet young women are led to believe that it’s an impossible feat and that abortion is the only answer. With the right support system in place, like the help offered by these Baylor students, moms can succeed in obtaining their education.

Baylor students who are interested in applying or learning more about the scholarship can fill out this form.

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