Policies and Rights

Student Pregnancy and Parenting Nondiscrimination Policy

This policy protects you from discrimination based on pregnancy or parenting status. It ensures you can continue your education without being penalized for being pregnant or being a parent.

What This Policy Means for You

Under this policy, UTA:

• Cannot require you to drop classes or leave school because you are pregnant or have children.
• Cannot exclude you from any classes, programs, or activities because of your pregnancy or parenting status.
• Must provide reasonable adjustments to help you continue your education.
• Must excuse absences related to pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting for doctor appointments and medical needs.
• Must allow you to make up work you missed due to pregnancy or parenting-related absences.

If you are pregnant, UTA will work with you to provide reasonable adjustments to help you stay in school and succeed. These adjustments are based on your individual needs.

Examples of Reasonable Adjustments

• Allowing more frequent bathroom breaks during class or exams
• Providing a larger desk or more comfortable seating
• Allowing you to eat or drink water during class if needed
• Excusing absences for prenatal appointments
• Allowing you to turn in assignments early or late due to childbirth
• Providing access to lactation rooms
• Allowing you to take exams at a different time if needed
• Keeping you at a safe distance from hazardous substances or activities

Important: You do not need medical documentation to request reasonable adjustments. Your own confirmation of your needs is enough.

You have the right to take a voluntary leave of absence from school if you need time off due to pregnancy, childbirth, or recovery. Texas law requires that this leave be for at least one full semester.

What You Need to Know About Leave

• You can take leave for as long as medically necessary.
• When you return, you must be allowed to return to the same academic standing you had when you left.
• You will have a reasonable amount of time to make up any work you missed.
• Taking leave is completely voluntary - no one can force you to take time off.

To Request Leave: Contact the Dean of Students Office or the Title IX Office.

Texas Education Code Section 51.982 - This law, which took effect September 1, 2023, provides comprehensive protections for pregnant and parenting students at all Texas colleges and universities.

UTA Cannot:

• Make you take a leave of absence or withdraw from your program just because you are pregnant or have children
• Treat you differently or unfairly because you are pregnant or a parent
• Keep you from joining or stop you from participating in any course, activity, or program

UTA Must:

• Provide reasonable accommodations similar to those given to students with temporary medical conditions
• Provide accommodations related to your health and safety, such as keeping you away from hazardous substances or activities that could harm you or your unborn child
• Allow you to take a voluntary leave of absence for at least one semester (or longer if medically necessary)
• Return you to the same academic status when you come back from leave
• Have a clear policy about pregnancy and parenting discrimination
• Make this policy easy to find on the UTA website
• Provide contact information for the person or office you can reach out to for help (the Student Parent Liaison)

Title IX is a federal law that protects you from sex discrimination in education. This includes discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. All schools that receive federal funding (including UTA) must follow Title IX.

What Title IX Protects You From

Title IX makes it illegal to discriminate against you because of:

• Pregnancy
• Childbirth
• False pregnancy, miscarriage, or termination of pregnancy
• Recovery from any pregnancy-related condition
• Lactation (breastfeeding or pumping milk)
• Parenting status

• UTA offers a Medical and Compassionate Withdrawal (MCW) for students whose extraordinary circumstances prevent them from completing all their courses for a semester.
• A Selective Course Load Reduction (SCLR) may be an option when circumstances affect only some courses.

Your circumstances as a student parent will be considered in the context of UTA’s eligibility requirements.

There are typical challenges associated with parenting that would not make a student eligible for some options.

• Having children, experiencing routine childcare difficulties, or being a parent by itself does not guarantee approval.

Circumstances that may warrant consideration

• Pregnancy, childbirth, or recovery
• Pregnancy-related medical complications, childbirth, or a resulting medical condition may make it difficult to complete coursework. UTA has a specific process for pregnancy-related withdrawal requests, including possible retroactive review.


• A serious family medical emergency
• An unexpected illness, injury, or crisis involving your child or another immediate family member may qualify for compassionate consideration if it significantly affects your ability to complete your coursework.


• A major, unexpected family or personal crisis
• Examples may include homelessness or another extraordinary circumstance beyond your control that substantially disrupts your ability to continue your classes.


• A significant change in circumstances
• If a situation began earlier but significantly and unexpectedly worsened after the university’s drop deadline, you may be able to request consideration. Your application should explain the timeline and the change in circumstances.

• Medical and Compassionate Withdrawal (MCW)
• Choose this option if extraordinary medical or personal circumstances prevent you from completing all courses for the affected semester.
  
  The outcome may include “W” or “Q” grades, depending on the applicable rules and your student status.

UTA’s MCW Policy and Application Information


• Selective Course Load Reduction (SCLR)
• Consider this option if your circumstances prevent you from completing one or more courses, but you can continue with the rest of your schedule.
  
  This option has separate eligibility and review procedures. Consider how reducing your course load may affect financial aid and other benefits.

UTA’s SCLR Information


• Pregnancy-related or retroactive withdrawal
• If you need to withdraw because of pregnancy-related circumstances, including a request for a past semester, UTA provides a specific review process. The appropriate form and supporting documentation depend on how far back the request goes.

UTA’s Pregnancy and Parenting Policies

• Timing of the circumstance
• The qualifying event must occur after the university’s drop deadline, and its impact must occur on or before the last day of final exams for the affected course. If the situation started earlier, documented evidence of a significant, unforeseeable worsening may be considered.


• Supporting documentation
• You must provide documentation or, in certain compassionate circumstances, a detailed personal statement that explains what happened and when.


• A clear impact on your coursework
• Your application must explain how the circumstances affected your ability to complete the relevant courses during the semester.


• Complete a timely application
• Submit the required application and documentation by the applicable deadline. Incomplete applications may be closed, and meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee approval.
  
  UTA generally limits MCW and SCLR approvals to one per student career, although exceptions may be considered for extraordinary, unrelated circumstances. Courses involving a finding of responsibility for academic misconduct are not eligible under the standard process.

1. Explore your options before withdrawing from classes.
• Contact the Student Parent Liaison if you are unsure whether your situation calls for a compassionate withdrawal, a pregnancy-related withdrawal, an academic adjustment, or another resource. If you can continue attending and participating, UTA advises students to do so while a standard request is under review.


2. Choose the appropriate application.
• Visit UTA’s Medical and Compassionate Withdrawal webpage. Review the MCW and SCLR options and the instructions for pregnancy-related and retroactive withdrawal requests.


3. Gather your supporting documents.
• Depending on your circumstances, useful documentation may include:
  • Medical or hospital documentation concerning pregnancy complications, childbirth, or a serious family medical event.
  
  
  • An obituary or other official records related to a family emergency.
  
  
  • Relevant legal, housing, police, or other official records.
  
  
  • A detailed personal statement describing the circumstances, timeline, and effect on your coursework when appropriate.

Your documentation should establish the connection between the circumstances and your academic difficulties. If you use a personal statement in place of supporting documentation for a compassionate request, UTA requires a meeting with a Dean of Students staff member.



4. Submit the application and documentation.
• Complete the Medical and Compassionate Withdrawal/SCLR application. Review the MCW and SCLR options and the instructions for pregnancy-related and retroactive withdrawal requests.


5. Monitor your application and respond to requests for information.
• UTA lists a processing target of 14 calendar days for MCW requests and 21 calendar days for SCLR requests.


6. Plan for the academic and financial implications.
• If your request is approved, consult your academic advisor and relevant campus offices to understand how the decision affects your degree plan, financial aid, scholarships, housing, veteran benefits, or immigration status, as applicable.

Important Deadlines

• Standard MCW/SCLR requests: UTA’s published guidance generally sets the deadline as the last class day of the next regular long semester following the semester in question. Summer requests are generally due by the last class day of the subsequent fall semester.


• Pregnancy-related requests: Students seeking withdrawal after the ordinary drop deadline for the current semester or the semester immediately prior should use the MCW/SCLR application and submit documentation verifying the pregnancy and explaining the circumstances, including any medical complications.


• Pregnancy-related requests for semesters more than one semester in the past: UTA identifies the MCW/SCLR application or the Pregnant and Parenting Students form (DF-EI-F-02) for individualized review by designated university staff. Documentation explaining why the request was not submitted earlier may also be needed for retroactive requests.


• Appeals: A denial may be appealed within 14 calendar days, with a written explanation and new documentation or facts that were previously unavailable.

Always confirm the deadline and required form for your specific semester with the Dean of Students Office. Course formats and university procedures may affect the applicable dates.

You deserve to make an informed decision about your education and your family. Before submitting a withdrawal request, consider speaking with the appropriate campus office about the following:

• Academic alternatives: Could an extension, an incomplete, an excused absence, or a reasonable adjustment help you finish the semester?


• Financial aid and scholarships: Could withdrawing require repayment of financial aid or affect your scholarship eligibility?


• Enrollment requirements: Could a reduced course load affect your degree progress, housing, veteran benefits, or international student status?


• Future semesters: What would returning to school look like, and what resources could help you succeed when you return?

An approved MCW is not automatically a tuition or fee refund. Refunds are handled through a separate process, and an approved withdrawal decision generally cannot be reversed. Consult the relevant offices before making a final decision.