St. Louis, Mo., Oct 27, 2008 / 23:21 pm
A pro-life organization at St. Louis University is working to ensure that no pregnant college student has to choose between her baby and her education. The student group recently announced its efforts to establish an endowed scholarship to assist pregnant women with their educational costs.
Students for Life recently announced the new scholarship at an event during the university’s Respect Life Week, celebrated October 3 -12, reports the St. Louis Review.
Members of the organization explained that the need for a scholarship is out there. “There are students reaching out to us, saying ‘I could use this scholarship," Kathleen Neuner, past president of Students for Life, told the St. Louis Review. "The need is there."
According to Feminists for Life, nearly 10 % of college women become pregnant each year. However, Students for Life reports, little is being done on campuses to meet this need. Particularly at SLU, “there are no significant resources available to pregnant and parenting students at Saint Louis University (financial, housing, or childcare),” the organization says.
Additionally, Students for Life’s website states, pregnant students are rarely seen on campus leading to the conclusion that “SLU is not a welcoming environment for pregnant or parenting students,” and that many students have to choose “between staying at SLU and achieving their goals and having a baby.”
So far, Students for Life has raised nearly a quarter of its goal of $25,000, the minimum amount necessary to establish an endowment. When the goal is reached, the endowment will provide $1,000 to students in need of the financial resources.
The scholarship also is just one of several achievements of the group, which in recent years "has turned into a real training ground for leaders in the pro-life movement," staff adviser and SLU campus minister Steve Fowler told the Review.
The group has also been involved in several other projects on campus and within the community including creating and distributing brochures, hosting a baby shower at a local women’s shelter, participating in the campaign to ban human cloning and organizing talks on contraception.
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For more information on Students for Life or to make a contribution to their endowed scholarship fund, visit: pages.slu.edu/org/sfl/about.html