rhettschlabach

[rhettschlabach]

The Experience of Transgender Students Attending Universities

As a transgender student, I know firsthand the difficulties that many students face when attempting to apply to, afford, and attend a university.

When I first started my undergraduate degree, I did not identify as transgender. When I came out, and lost some familial and community support, I struggled to keep the scholarships that were allowing me to attend this college. Additionally, as I have gone back to apply for grad school I have struggled with discerning when to reveal to this new institution that I am transgender, as my legal name and gender marker have not changed. Especially seeking to attend a Catholic school, I am concerned about revealing this aspect of my identity to those that will be making decisions about my admission and scholarship opportunities, as they may not approve of my transition. This is the case for many transgender students.

Additionally, many transgender students are unable to afford college, potentially because of lack of familial support resulting from their gender identity. When I came out, my dad's side of the family cut me out of their lives completely, and I consider myself lucky. Still having the support of my mother's side of the family, I was able to continue with my education and remain financially stable. However, many students are not as lucky. Many transgender youth struggle to find housing and food after being abandoned by their families, and have no way of attending university at all.

Finally, even once they have been accepted, many struggle to find housing that is both safe, and congruent with their identity. Many universities do not have gender neutral housing, and require that transgender students reside in a dorm with another student whose gender aligns with their gender assigned at birth. While this is, at the least, not very affirming and can cause significant dysphoria, it is, to the extreme, unsafe for many students. Not only is the transgender student likely uncomfortable, but the other students might be to, potentially leading to unwanted conflict. And if the student is allowed in the dorms that align with the gender with which they identify, the other students, if they are made aware that the student is transgender, might also react negatively to this student's presence, inciting more conflict.

If issues regarding the acceptance of those admitting transgender students, and an increased likely hood that the student will not be able to afford school weren't enough, even once accepted it is likely that the transgender student's experience will be difficult as they navigate dorm life at college.

There are many roadblocks that often prevent students from achieving the degree that they desire, but there are also many resources available as well. One example is the Transgender First College Scholarship! I am attaching a link below, and I highly recommend that any transgender students considering a higher degree apply as I am. Thank you!

The #TransgenderFirst College Scholarship- For Transgender Students (onlinedegree.com)

#transgender