When Pro-Choice And College Choice Meet

How abortion bans are shaping where these California seniors are applying to college.

The University of Texas at Austin, with its amazing film program, offered everything Jagger Blue, a California high school senior who wants to study film, could want. 

When Blue, 17, learned about Texas’s total ban on abortion, she had to pick what she valued more, the education UT Austin would provide, or her own rights. Ultimately, she decided to take this school off of her list, now looking at more progressive states with less restrictive laws to spend her next four years at.

“States that have banned abortions have values that don't align with mine. When choosing a school, I want to be in an environment and community that agrees with what I believe,” says Blue.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, a case that was passed in 1973, they eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, allowing the states to regulate or ban abortions. As a result, now, many Republican states in the South and Midwest have banned abortion, with very few exceptions allowed. Currently, 12 states have fully banned abortion, and 10 of those states make no exception for rape or incest, along with six states that now have early gestational limits between six weeks and 12 weeks in effect.

(Photograph: ABC news)

These laws dictating what a woman could do with her body have prompted many girls to reconsider where they want to apply to college. We will continue to see how much the political climate of the county affects the youth's decisions on where they feel safe to spend their next four years.

While many students have been apprehensive about applying to colleges in places with different political and human rights ideals than they have, recent changes on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, abortion laws, and DEI programs have created an even bigger divide in our country. Living in California, you may find yourself in a bubble of mostly liberal ideals. Thus, California seems like a safe choice to stay in to feel protected and respected. Students from California who do not face this abortion ban where they live fear that they won't be able to get an abortion if they need one, and don't want to have to fly back to the Golden State to get one. They also fear the social challenges they could face being in a conservative state.

“If the school itself is super conservative, I’m not going,” says current senior Esme Held. “Even if the program is great, I need to feel like I belong.”

Many seniors in California agree with this statement, sharing that sacrificing academics to prioritize their own rights has become a component in college applications that may not have been considered as heavily pre-Republican takeover of all three branches of the federal government. “Why would I put myself through four years in a place where I have to hide who I am just because the academics are good?” said Blue. 

Seniors who usually don't spend much time concerning themselves with laws and politics that don't affect them in California are now paying attention to other states’ laws being put in place. “I wasn’t even thinking about politics until this year, but now it’s a huge part of how I’m picking schools,” says senior Princess West.

Trump's recent Executive Order 14182, enforcing the Hyde Amendment to ensure taxpayer dollars do not fund elective abortions. It’s reversing two executive actions by the Biden administration that aimed to expand access to reproductive healthcare. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom has pushed back by helping pass laws in California protecting providers and patients from litigation or actions by states with stricter laws. On the opposite end, states like South Dakota, where leaders such as former Governor Kristi Noem celebrate bans as key “pro-life” victories. When these five different seniors look at the vast difference of opinions on abortion made from conservative states in comparison to their Governor, in California, Gavin Newsom, it does not make going to colleges in these states more enticing, but just adds to the reason they are avoiding these schools now.

Safety is something these seniors are prioritizing “I don’t feel safe in places where my rights aren’t protected,” said West. “If something happened and I needed care, I’d want to know I had options.” 

Senior Eva Dandridge has the same concern. “Even if it’s the best school, if it’s in a state like Texas or Alabama, it’s a no for me,” she says. “It just doesn’t feel worth it.” Blue added, “It’s scary knowing there are schools where you just straight up can’t get help if something goes wrong. I’d never go to a state like that.” If these seniors don't feel safe in the state, they are taking it off their list; they see the country’s direction on women’s rights directly impacting them and their sense of security. “I definitely don’t feel good about the future of women’s rights under Trump,” said Dandridge. “It really scares me.” Held added, “I just feel like things are going backward, and it’s exhausting.”

The thought of moving somewhere that forces you to not have full bodily autonomy is terrifying to most, and according to seniors applying to colleges this semester, this is a topic they have all discussed with each other and is impacting their decisions. It's more than just the usual threats they hear from the government; this is actually laws being placed that could change the trajectory of their lives.

“Yes, it’s a huge conversation,” said West. “Everyone’s avoiding certain states now.”

 “My friends are definitely avoiding schools in red states,” said Held. “It’s not just me.” 

Seniors who initially considered schools in states like Florida, Alabama, and Texas because of their big campuses and school spirit have shifted their decisions and are now looking at schools in blue urban areas. Girls from all kinds of backgrounds are changing their decisions; politics now play a bigger role in their college decisions than ever before.

As this year’s seniors prepare to submit their applications, they’re doing so with a new perspective. They’re not just choosing dorms or degree programs. Now they’re choosing communities that reflect their values. Whether that means staying close to home or venturing to a state that protects their rights, one thing remains clear: They don’t want to separate education from equality.