Pregnant & Parenting Students

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—including pregnancy and parental status—in educational programs and activities.

According to guidance received from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”), under Title IX, colleges must not exclude a pregnant student from participating in any part of an educational program. Spartanburg Community College is committed to ensuring that pregnant students receive reasonable, supportive measures to ensure access to our educational programs. You do not have to drop out of your classes or academic program or change your educational plans due to your pregnancy.

A student should advise the Title IX Office of a potential need for supportive measures as soon as they know they are pregnant. It is extremely important that communication between the student, instructors, and the Student Accessibility Specialist begin as soon as possible. Each situation is unique and will be addressed individually.

Title IX measures DO NOT apply to Financial Aid. Financial Aid regulations do not give the College any discretion in terms of Financial Aid eligibility. Any impact on a student’s Financial Aid due to absences related to pregnancy or childbirth is dictated by Financial Aid regulations, not the college. Therefore, if the student believes the pregnancy may affect Financial Aid eligibility, the student should contact the Financial Aid Office for additional information as soon as possible. Certain educational programs may have strict certification requirements or be subject to requirements mandated by external regulatory agencies. Therefore, in some programs, the application of Title IX accommodations may be limited.

Requesting Pregnancy Supportive Measures

To receive supportive measures, a student who is pregnant or has recently given birth must email the Title IX Coordinator, francisd@sccsc.edu. Once you reach out, you will receive an email with further details and requests for more information. The Title IX Coordinator will then relay information to the student’s instructor(s).

Speaking with your instructor is not the same as working with the Title IX office. Once the Coordinator has notified your instructor(s), ongoing communication between student and instructor is critical.

After the student has returned from a pregnancy-related absence, the instructor(s) shall communicate to the student all required coursework, a preferred method for making up the work, and a time frame for completing it. Regular communication from the student is critical to ensure that appropriate faculty and staff are aware of her needs so that appropriate supportive measures can be arranged.