Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! I wanted to discuss something that is near and dear to my heart. As many of you know, I am a full-time student at an online university. I have been attempting to obtain a degree since 2014, having had to take breaks to save up money for years, then pausing work to attend college for a year, and then going back to work. I now have some disabilities that make it difficult to maintain a job so I am using federal funding and scholarships to cover my college expenses. As I've entered the last year and a half of my college degree, I have decided to reflect on the difficulties faced by transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals within academia.
There continues to be a deficit for college funding and academic career opportunities for transgender students. Despite increased visibility and acceptance in many parts of society, trans people still face discrimination in many areas of life, including in education. And, even with the progress that has been made over the past decade or so, we are currently seeing a resurgence in anti-queer legislature across the United States. Such growth in harmful rhetoric encourages discrimination against queer people within academia.
Transgender students often have difficulty accessing financial aid and scholarships, as well as other forms of support from their institutions. This can make it difficult for them to pursue their academic goals. Transgender students often face discrimination from their peers and professors. This can make it difficult for them to feel comfortable and supported in their academic environment. Many transgender individuals engage in nontraditional career fields -- such as sex work -- as a form of survival. Unfortunately, such career fields are looked down upon by universities, and can even result in the loss of enrollment eligibility in those institutions.
Another form of discrimination transgender people face is in the form of grant, scholarship, fellowship, and award applications. Many require the applicant to select "male" or "female." Many of these are only available to those two genders. But what if the applicant is nonbinary or genderfluid? They are not represented and therefore cannot honestly apply.
Sometimes, scholarships require applicants to demonstrate examples of community service, volunteer work, or former achievements. That doesn't seem problematic on the surface, but there are hidden issues with such requirements. A lot of the LGBTQ+ community work is done for queer people, by queer people, in silence. Students may not be able to provide evidence of ways they helped their community in private. And even for those who had an opportunity to participate in a recorded extracurricular activity, their preferred name might not be used on the documentation.Â
And what about the transgender and nonbinary folk who don't have time for extracurricular activities because they have been busy trying to survive? What of those who are working two or three jobs, but are not able to gain promotions or raises due to employer discrimination? And what of those who are afraid to upset the status quo by asking for different hours or better pay, for fear they may have just given their employer a "real" reason to cut their hours to almost nothing or fire them altogether?
Some even struggle to gain jobs due to transphobic discrimination in the job market. The bias to hire cis-het-passing individuals may not be intentional or overt, but it is there. And for some students, this might not be an issue because they can ask for family support. But transgender individuals have a high rate of alienation and estrangement from their families due to transphobia.
These challenges, and more, can make it difficult for transgender students to secure academic funding. However, there are a few organizations and programs that are working to support trans students in higher education. One such organization is the Transgender First Scholarship group, for whom I am writing this blog post. This blog post is part of my application to receive a scholarship from their organization.
With continued effort, it is hoped that these challenges can be overcome and that transgender students will be able to fully participate in and benefit from college life.
Thanks for reading! I hope this gives you a better understanding of the college experience for transgender students, as well as the challenges they face in securing funding for their academic pursuits. If you would like to learn more about how you can support trans students, you can visit the Transgender First Scholarship's website. Thank you!
There continues to be a deficit for college funding and academic career opportunities for transgender students. Despite increased visibility and acceptance in many parts of society, trans people still face discrimination in many areas of life, including in education. And, even with the progress that has been made over the past decade or so, we are currently seeing a resurgence in anti-queer legislature across the United States. Such growth in harmful rhetoric encourages discrimination against queer people within academia.
Transgender students often have difficulty accessing financial aid and scholarships, as well as other forms of support from their institutions. This can make it difficult for them to pursue their academic goals. Transgender students often face discrimination from their peers and professors. This can make it difficult for them to feel comfortable and supported in their academic environment. Many transgender individuals engage in nontraditional career fields -- such as sex work -- as a form of survival. Unfortunately, such career fields are looked down upon by universities, and can even result in the loss of enrollment eligibility in those institutions.
Another form of discrimination transgender people face is in the form of grant, scholarship, fellowship, and award applications. Many require the applicant to select "male" or "female." Many of these are only available to those two genders. But what if the applicant is nonbinary or genderfluid? They are not represented and therefore cannot honestly apply.
Sometimes, scholarships require applicants to demonstrate examples of community service, volunteer work, or former achievements. That doesn't seem problematic on the surface, but there are hidden issues with such requirements. A lot of the LGBTQ+ community work is done for queer people, by queer people, in silence. Students may not be able to provide evidence of ways they helped their community in private. And even for those who had an opportunity to participate in a recorded extracurricular activity, their preferred name might not be used on the documentation.Â
And what about the transgender and nonbinary folk who don't have time for extracurricular activities because they have been busy trying to survive? What of those who are working two or three jobs, but are not able to gain promotions or raises due to employer discrimination? And what of those who are afraid to upset the status quo by asking for different hours or better pay, for fear they may have just given their employer a "real" reason to cut their hours to almost nothing or fire them altogether?
Some even struggle to gain jobs due to transphobic discrimination in the job market. The bias to hire cis-het-passing individuals may not be intentional or overt, but it is there. And for some students, this might not be an issue because they can ask for family support. But transgender individuals have a high rate of alienation and estrangement from their families due to transphobia.
These challenges, and more, can make it difficult for transgender students to secure academic funding. However, there are a few organizations and programs that are working to support trans students in higher education. One such organization is the Transgender First Scholarship group, for whom I am writing this blog post. This blog post is part of my application to receive a scholarship from their organization.
With continued effort, it is hoped that these challenges can be overcome and that transgender students will be able to fully participate in and benefit from college life.
Thanks for reading! I hope this gives you a better understanding of the college experience for transgender students, as well as the challenges they face in securing funding for their academic pursuits. If you would like to learn more about how you can support trans students, you can visit the Transgender First Scholarship's website. Thank you!
