Pregnancy Is No Hindrance
- Make sure to read the rules at su.dk thoroughly.
- Do not apply for maternity leave, as people who are fully employed do. You will receive 12 extra monthly educational grants from the state.
- Find Facebook groups or study groups that may offer tips and tricks on how to juggle your family life and your life as a student. You should also be able to find groups that sell or give away baby clothes for free.
- Once the child is born, go back to the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme office at your university. If you have a cohabiting partner, you are eligible to receive an extra allowance. If you are a single parent, you may receive a double monthly grant for the rest of your studies.
- Visit the student counselor at your school to gain an overall understanding of your rights and which deadlines you need to stick to.
- Although you are eligible to receive family allowances, it costs a lot of money to take care of a child, and you may want to apply for a larger student loan.
Having your first child while you are still a student is not such a bad choice. To qualify for additional educational grants from the state, it is crucial that you do not go on pregnancy leave.
Although becoming pregnant may lead to six month’s delay in your studies, you should not let your pregnancy stop you from graduating. You can get financial support via the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme (Danish acronym: SU). If you plan ahead and make sure not to take a leave of absence from your studies, you will qualify for 12 extra monthly educational grants. The father of your child may also receive 6 extra monthly educational grants, if he’s a student. You may also transfer 6 of your monthly grants to him, if you do not use them all yourself. Make sure to contact your student counselor as early as possible; they will be able to help you with the bureaucratical aspects – the filling out of forms, etc. – so that you don’t miss important application deadlines or lose your right to receive monthly grants. If you become a parent while still studying, you may view it as an easier path to a full career as a recent graduate; it’s no state secret that employers can be a bit reluctant to hire newly graduated women of childbearing age. It is illegal for employers to ask about this, but if you already have one or more children at the time of the job interview, you will be viewed as a less “risky” candidate than the female candidate with no children.
Sources: student counseling at AAU, Student counseling at DTU, su.dk
