Teen Moms Still Want College Degrees, Study Finds

How about free daycare at colleges? That's at least one less thing these girls would have to worry about. I certainly wouldn't object to some of my tuition going towards a service that would make it easier for both student and faculty mothers to focus on their work without having to worry for their kid. Another bonus: such a service would open up more work study positions to help students who need it pay for their own college education. I know any woman trying to attend college and raise a child will face massive issues, but perhaps this would be one less for them to deal with. In fact, I think I'll write up a proposal for my school to do this. Let them stop wasting money on refurbishing classrooms that are only a few years old and in fine shape and cut mandatory programs that basically mimic my high school home ec. class and let them put it towards something useful.

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"57 percent of them had aspirations that required at least a four-year degree." Well, isn't that nice for them? I guess if they have aspirations that require a 4-year degree, they need to learn to keep their panties on for a few more years. No - I'm not saying it's ALL on the girl to be sure she doesn't get pregnant, but it is ALL on the girl if she gets pregnant so I'd think "the girl" would be a little more concerned about it. You don't HAVE to let the guy do ya, you know. If he dumps you because you won't put out, he wasn't worth putting out for.

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Coop, you are extremely ignorant. Not every teenager is a "tramp" that sleeps around with everyone and gets pregnant. Plenty of teens have sex and don't get pregnant. These teens unfortunately do. A lot of times this is due to inaccuarate or less than sufficient knowledge of safe sex. I would rather have my taxpayer money go to help these people though college so they actually can do better for their kids and themselves and in turn, bettering society as opposed to working a dead-end job and living in poverty and on welfare. Also, it's not just the girls fault as you so rudely implied. Teenage boys are equally responsible unfortunately they seem to think that since they don't have to carry the baby for 9 months, it's not their problem and don't own up to their responsibilities. Raising a baby is BOTH the girl and boys responsibility. So as I said before, it would be in society's best interest to try and implement education and programs so that the rate of teen pregnancy is reduced AND those that do unfortunately get pregnant have the resources to attempt to raise a family, become educated and better their life for their child.

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Some teenage girls who get pregnant might be "tramps" but, most likely, they are not. Most teenagers have lapses in judgment, no matter their upbringing, education, or other circumstances. Does ANYONE know a teenager who never made a mistake? Were any of you prefect growing up?

Imagine a teenager who decides to get drunk with their friends one night. They might do stupid things as a result, or maybe just feel hungover the next day. But if the teenager's stupid decision is to have sex with the boy who says he loves her, whom she thinks she loves, it's possible that she may never have any consequences, or she might end up with an STD, or maybe she ends up pregnant. And what about the boy? It takes two to tango, right? True, many young men in this situation do take responsibility for caring for the child, but many do not. Regardless, the girl is the one that has to carry the child to term - or choose an abortion. There are physical and medical risks to pregnancy that the male doesn't have to endure. And let's not even talk about the general discomforts of pregnancy. If the teenager makes ONE mistake, has ONE lapse in judgment, and the consequence of that poor decision is a pregnancy, why is she punished and ridiculed so much? Surely, teen pregnancy shouldn't be celebrated but the last thing that child needs is to be isolated and treated like a "tramp".

If parents found out that their teenager smoked pot at a party, they would understandably be upset, and would probably impose some type of punishment. But is that teenager a drug addict? NO. Is the teenager who gets drunk at a party a few times an alcoholic? NO. So how is a teenager who gets pregnant a tramp?

I'm not a tramp. But, when I was 16, I was stupid. I thought I was in love. I thought he loved me. A year later, I couldn't afford birth control pills (previously, I had received them free of charge from my college) and my (rich) boyfriend wouldn't pay for them. I wanted to stop having sex. But, (big surprise) he pressured me, I gave in, and, at 17, I was pregnant. Now I have an amazing, smart, and healthy 5 year old son. I graduated - with honors - with a BA in Psychology, and in May I will graduate from law school, also with honors. My parents paid for nothing. They helped tremendously in other ways. But I worked all through school, at one point working a full time day job, a more than full time 3rd shift job, with a part time job on the weekends. I have a ton of student loans but I never went on welfare or other public programs. I made a mistake. There were consequences. But I took night classes, weekend classes, online classes, and did everything I could to get a decent education, without shirking my responsibilities as a parent. And, as a result, I will be able to provide a great life for my son and myself.

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I am deeply saddened and a little angry that you (Coop) would go so far a out of your way to call us young mother tramps. Not every female that lays down and get pregnant is a tramp, slut, hoe, etc. I was a straight A student all threw high school. Had a scholorship to Clark Atlanta and in the summer of my last year in high school I got pregnant. My family does not believe in abortion. What was done is done. My son is the biggest blessing that I have ever had happen to my life. I couldnt go to the school that I wanted to, so I settled for a college in my hometown and I graduated. I worked all through college and is now in graduate school. So to say that we are irresponsible wpi;d be an understatement. Was the unsafe sex an irresponisble move? Yes. But me not giving my child my best and not living up to my full potential as a mother or woman is just as irresponsible. Would you prefer we continue to work at McDonald's? Live off of welfare for the rest of our lives? Hell, look at the father for his help in things when our little minimum wage job doesn;t cover everything? You wee probably the tramp in high school that got tons of abortions just so you could be baby-free through college. And in that case, I look at you as a coward for turnig your nose down at us single mothers doing somethng better for me and our children's lives

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Today's teens will tell you anything that is drifting around in that black hole of a head. Won't they be surprised when they find out that they actually have to make an effort to get the degree....unlike the babies that keep flying out of their clown car womb.

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as long as those teens see upwards of $4,000 earned income tax, they don't want to be bothered with earning a degree when they can't get jobs or the jobs are minimum wages....they know how much they have to earn to get the most money from their children...the only problem is....what is the future for their children?

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And a mistake is a mistake, but when they have one after the other for more on the paycheck every month is not fair either. I think one and if you have more you better make sure the poppa has enough money or your family can help, not the taxpayer. To many lil ones being born today depending on somebody else to take care of everything.

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