{"id":302447,"date":"2023-11-30T08:44:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T14:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=302447"},"modified":"2023-11-28T18:25:35","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T00:25:35","slug":"program-pregnant-students-support-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/program-pregnant-students-support-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"Program gives pregnant students support to get their degree… without abortion"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Students at a North Dakota Catholic university are singing the praises of a campus program which allows them to continue pursuing their educational goals while pregnant.<\/p>\n

Katie Chihoski, a sophomore at the University of Mary, spoke to US Catholic<\/a> about her experience with the St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers<\/a>, which provides housing and support for pregnant and parenting students on campus. In addition to providing room and board, they help students in other ways, with assistance like childcare also arranged.<\/p>\n

Jerome Richter, the executive vice president and chief of staff at the University of Mary, told the National Catholic Register<\/a> that women enrolled in the program don’t have to pay anything to get the support they need.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are still responsible for tuition,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can help them to find the necessary programs. There\u2019s federal aid; there\u2019s federal loans. They\u2019re not walking away from this with a free education; they\u2019re walking away with an education that they\u2019ve earned by working hard, but at the same time greatly supported by those that are around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chihoski said she found out she was pregnant during a trip to Rome, and wasn’t sure what to do at first – until she found the St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure if I could actually raise a child while going to school,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I was blown away by how supportive everyone has been.\u201d<\/p>\n