Pregnant & Parenting Students Support Services

Texas Southern University provides support services and resources to help pregnant and parenting students have access to education and opportunities to fulfill their academic requirements.

A parenting student is defined as a student, who is the parent or legal guardian of a child under 18 years of age. 

The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for providing information and supportive assistance to current and incoming pregnant students. Students seeking information should contact the Title IX Coordinator.

Dr. Buckley also provides current and incoming parenting students with university information regarding supportive services and resources.

Texas Ed. Code. § 51.982 (SB 412) prohibits discrimination against students due to their pregnancy or parental status. A parenting student under this state law is defined as a TSU student who is the parent of a child or children under the age of 18. The prohibition against discrimination extends to a prohibition against being forced out of school; limiting their studies; attending an alternative program; changing their major, degree, or certificate program; and being forced into or out of any particular course, activity, or program based solely on their parenting status or “issues related to the student’s pregnancy or parenting.

How is this different from Title IX?

Unlike Title IX, which typically protects students against sex-based discrimination during their pregnancy and up to eight weeks after the birth of the child, this state law protects parenting students of children under 18 from discrimination in their academic life regardless of whether the discrimination they face is sex-based or not. And, by including “issues related” to pregnancy and parenting, the law provides broad coverage.

Campus Resources

Undergraduate and graduate students may complete this form to register with the Title IX Coordinator.

The following locations are designated Lactation Rooms, providing a private and uninterrupted space for student mothers to nurse their children.

  • Hannah Hall 3rd Floor 320W
  • Gray Hall 2nd Floor 235
  • Fairchild 119D
  • Wellness Center 120
  • Law School 119
  • SOPA 402AA
  • Nabrit Annex 120
  • Learning Library 112

Texas Ed. Code. § 51.982 (SB 412) allows pregnant and parenting students to take a leave of absence and return in good standing without being required to reapply for admission, which extends the protection offered under Title IX. Title IX only provides for a leave of absence for as long as medically necessary for pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, but it does not provide protection for parenting students. Under this state law, institutions of higher education must provide parenting university/college students with protected leave.

Under Texas S.B. 459 which took effect September 1, 2023 institutions providing early registration for any student populations shall provide early registration for parenting students in the same manner. Parenting student: a student enrolled at an institution of higher education who is the parent or legal guardian of a child under 18 years of age.

Students can fill out this form for early registration as a parenting student.

Texas Ed. Code. § 51.982 (SB 412) , like Title IX, requires institutions of higher education to provide pregnant students accommodations that are related to the health and safety of their pregnancy. The law also says pregnant students cannot be treated worse than students with other temporary medical conditions. This law strengthens protections by reiterating that students are entitled to excused absences for pregnancy and make up missed assignments

What Accommodations does TSU provide?

  • Accessible seating (i.e. a larger desk)

  • Appropriate restroom breaks

  • Excused absences related to medically necessary appointments

  • Academic adjustments related to childbirth

  • Mobility support (i.e. temporary special parking ePermit. For more information, visit the Parking Office)

Will I be counted absent?

  • Students must be allowed to take time off of school for pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, abortion and/or recovery for as long as their doctor says is medically necessary.

    That could mean a few absences for necessary medical appointments or a longer leave of absence for a high-risk pregnancy or childbirth. This rule applies even if taking medically necessary leave would require an absence for longer than the school's leave policy ordinarily allows. Students cannot be penalized for taking leave and must be able to return to school in the same status they held before taking leave.

    • Make Up Work
      Professors may require you to complete missed assignments or other work to make up for missed participation, but the make-up work should be comparable with the work given to other students, not extra. When setting timelines for make-up or missed work, professors need to treat leave as leave; for example, assignment deadlines should not be the day you return. This means at least the same amount of time as other students, even beyond the semester schedule if necessary.
        
    • Participation Grades/Credits
      If a teacher's grading is based in part on class attendance or participation, the student should be allowed to earn the credits they missed so that they can be reinstated to the status they had before the leave.

    • Doctor's Note
      If your professor requires other students who have “excused” absences to provide a doctor's note, they can ask you to provide one as well. Be sure your doctor clearly states that the absence is/was medically necessary.

Will my Financial Aid be impacted?

  • Taking leave may have an impact on your student loans, depending on your registration status during your time off. Schools cannot terminate or reduce athletic, merit, or need-based scholarships because of pregnancy.

  • Be sure to meet with the financial aid office before taking any extended absence and ask about your financial aid status for details about your particular situation.

  • Contact Financial Aid:

What do I do about athletics and other extracurricular activities?

  • Athletics
    • Pregnant athletes (and those with related conditions) must be treated like any other athlete with a temporary disability. Your college or university can't force you to stop participating in your sport because of your pregnancy, even if the school's decision is based on an assumption that it is unsafe for you to play. You may be asked to provide a medical clearance to play only if players with other medical conditions are asked to.

    • That means that you can't lose your athletic scholarship just because you are pregnant. If you have an athletic scholarship and can't play because of your medical condition, you must be treated the same as any other student with a temporary disability, including keeping benefits while in recovery, and renewal of your award.
  • Extracurricular Activities
    • Title IX prohibits a school from excluding a pregnant student from any part of its educational program, including all extracurricular activities, such as school clubs, academic societies, honors programs, internships, or sports. A pregnant student must also be eligible to hold leadership positions in these activities.
For more information please refer to this page.

According to HB 1361, each institution must designate at least one employee of the institution to act as a liaison officer for current or incoming students at the institution who are the parent or guardian of a child younger than 18 years of age. The liaison officer is responsible for providing the students with information regarding support services and other resources available to them at the institution.

According to SB 412, each institution must adopt and post on the institution’s Internet website the policy on pregnancy and parenting discrimination. The policy must include the contact information for the employee or office that is designated for a student requesting each protection or accommodation, be posted in an easily accessible format on the institution’s website, and be made available annually to faculty, staff, and employees of the institution. has context menu

TSU is required to collect data regarding student parents. Texas Ed. Code. § 51.982 (SB597/HB1361) requires on-campus student parent liaisons to report to the state each year the number of student parents and their basic demographic data, information related to student parents’ academic progress to assist in determining whether TSU is meeting its parent students’ needs and discovering where additional support should be provided.