Pregnancy and parenting don't have to mean the end of your education, dreams, or goals. We're here to connect you with the resources needed to support and empower you to succeed.
Peer Support
Protect Life at GVSU: This group of students will provide friendship, support, and help as you walk through life as a pregnant and parenting student. They are eager to do things like drive you to appointments, throw you a baby shower, and connect you with helpful resources both on and off campus.
Grace’s Table: Single mothers are welcomed here each week to become part of a family where they receive advice, friendship, resources, and love.
Pregnancy Options
Option Line: Free confidential help via text, online chat, or phone
Positive Options: Free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, confidential counseling, abortion information, parenting support, community resources, and more in Allendale.
Help Pregnancy Aid: Free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, confidential counseling, abortion information, parenting support, community resources, and more in downtown Grand Rapids.
Bethany Christian Services: Wondering what your options are? This organization will walk you through your options, give you free counseling and offers many resources including financial assistance.
Abortion Pill Reversal: If you change your mind after a medical abortion, you can receive help.
Home Ownership Services: If you need help paying for energy and weatherization costs, you may be able to get help from state programs that uses federal money to assist low-income families with energy costs.
Co-Abode: Co-Abode connects single mothers with similar interests to share a home, allowing their families to live in safer areas and diminish the financial burden of rent.
Family Housing: GVSU doesn’t have housing on campus for families, however, here are nearby apartments for families.
The Family Life Center: This is a maternity home located in Allendale for women facing unplanned pregnancies and nowhere to live.
Dwelling Place: They offer affordable housing in the greater Grand Rapids region.
Housing at GVSU: If pregnant, students are able to live in the dorms, however, once they have the child they need to find other housing.
Safe Haven Ministries: They offer residential and non-residential services to women and children who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Child Care
Child Care Assistance: Resources to find quality child care and payment assistance if you cannot afford child care.
Head Start of Kent County: Provides free learning and development services to children ages birth to 5 from low-income families. Some also provide prenatal services.
Head Start of Ottawa County: Provides free learning and development services to children ages birth to 5 from low-income families. Some also provide prenatal services.
YMCA: They provide infant, toddler, and preschool care with an engaging curriculum to reach developmental milestones.
Post-Abortive Care & Support
Garden of Hope: Free & confidential counseling for those struggling with a past abortion.
Project Rachel: Find hope and healing through confidential phone lines, individual counseling, support groups, and retreats.
Positive Options: Do you need help after an abortion? Positive Options provides abortion recovery help and support at no cost to you.
Financing Your Education
Hope for Single Moms: This organization provides financial assistance, as well as academic, emotional, and spiritual mentoring to student parents who have more than 50% custody of their children, while they complete their college education.
Michigan Student Aid: Numerous programs that are available to provide financial assistance for postsecondary education depending on eligibility.
Michigan Tuition Grant: This program is available for undergraduate students in financial need for their postsecondary tuition.
Federal Student Aid: If you are a pregnant or parenting student, update your FAFSA information in order to receive more financial aid.
Federal Pell Grant: This is a federal grant available for students that demonstrate financial need. Your FAFSA application will be reviewed to see if you qualify.
The Little Bundle Supermom Scholarship: This scholarship was created to help single moms fund their education. Current high school seniors, undergrad, and graduate students are all eligible to apply. Awards are $2,000 each.
Bethel Foundation Grace Scholarship: This scholarship is available to women who identify as single and the head of household with at least one child under the age of 18. They must be pursuing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree and must be a recipient of the Pell Grant. Funding per student is up to $1,500 or $750 for the summer semester.
Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award: Applicants must be the primary financial support system for themselves and at least one other dependent. They must be enrolled in a vocational/skills training program or pursuing their first undergraduate degree. Funding runs from $1,000 at the club level to $10,000 at the international level.
Kopfler & Hermann Overcoming Adversity Scholarship: Though this scholarship is not directed at single parents, it asks all applicants to submit a 500-1,000 word essay describing a time that they overcame adversity. Applicants can be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate level degree. The award is $1,000.
Kickass Single Mom Stimulus Grant: This grant can be used for anything, and the application process only takes a few minutes! The only qualification is that the applicant must be a single mother. Each award is $500.
Patsy Takemoto Mink Foundation: This organization provides funding to low income mothers who are pursuing education beyond high school. The foundation will provide grants of up to $5,000 each.
Scholarships4Moms: This organization has awarded over one million dollars in scholarships to mothers seeking higher education.
P.E.O. Sisterhood: Looking for grants, scholarships, or loans? P.E.O. Sisterhood has the resources you are looking for and has helped countless women achieve their educational goals.
Healthcare
Federally Qualified Health Centers: These are health centers that provide comprehensive healthcare to clients- even those without health insurance. You simply pay what you can afford. They offer checkups, treatments, complete pregnancy care, and immunizations. Some offer even more services.
Maternal Infant Health Program: A home visiting program for Medicaid-eligible women and infants. It offers support and care coordination to pregnant women for regular prenatal and infant care.
State of Michigan Health Care Information: Receive more information about healthcare options for pregnant women. This includes: Medicaid, MIChild, and Maternity Outpatient Medical Services.
Nurse Family Partnership: First-time mothers who enroll before their 3rd trimester qualify for intensive, home-based services to assist with pregnancy and parenting.
Community Clinics: Women’s clinics in Grand Rapids that may be able to help you depending on your need.
Pregnancy & Parenting Classes: Spectrum Health offers different classes to prepare parents for childbirth, parenting, and more.
Student Rights
Alliance Defending Freedom: ADF provides free legal support to help you understand your rights as a student.
Title IX Benefits at GVSU: Contact this office if you believe your rights as a pregnant or parenting student have been violated.
Title IX Benefits: Learn about your rights as a pregnant or parenting student in regards to class attendance, homework, activities, and more.
Pregnant Scholar: Learn about your rights as a pregnant or parenting student. This resource covers accommodations, leaves & absences, breastfeeding, and working on campus.
Rooms for Nursing Mothers: GVSU provides private and comfortable rooms for nursing mothers. They even have an app that tells students which rooms are available and where they are located.
Material Assistance
Food Assistance Program: Temporary food assistance for eligible low-income families and individuals
WIC: This program provides food assistance, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals for pregnant and parenting women & their children
Cash Assistance: Temporary cash assistance is available for pregnant women and low-income families with children
MIBridges: Create an account here to see what other assistance you are eligible for in Michigan. There are multiple assistance programs available for pregnant and parenting women.
Child Support: Set up a child support case so that you can receive assistance from the father of your child.
Replenish Food Pantry: GVSU has a food pantry right on campus for students who face financial obligations and struggles. It provides food and personal care items to meet short-term challenges.
Food Assistance: Use this website to find more information about food assistance in Kent County.
The Salvation Army: They offer food assistance, energy assistance (for electric and natural gas), and housing assistance.
Positive Options: Receive material assistance for you and your child and referrals for other community services.
Additional Resources
Women Deserve Better: This website is a compilation of practical resources and inspirational stories. They focus on issues pertaining to work, home life, education, and relationships.
Single Moms: This website is full of resources for single mothers on housing, parenting, education, relationships and more.
Abortion Pill Reversal: If you change your mind after a medical abortion, you can receive help.
Bright Beginnings: This organization offers personal home visits to overcome parenting challenges, playgroups & field trips, and developmental screenings all for free!
Family Futures: This organization provides support to families through parent-coaching, education, and prevention-based programming.
MomsBloom: This organization matches parents with young children to volunteers to offer support and offset the challenges of early motherhood.
Pregnancy & Parenting Classes: Spectrum Health offers different classes to prepare parents for childbirth, parenting, and more.
Adoption Associates: This organization will help you learn more about adoption as you consider your choices. Should you choose to make an adoption plan, they will stand by your side with support and counseling services. Adoption Associates wants you to feel empowered throughout the adoption process. Financial assistance may be available.
