College is difficult enough for students trying to manage their newfound freedom. But for some at Saint Louis University, balancing a social life and schoolwork is the easy part. Some students have to care for another life.

One such student is junior Jamie Slais, who is raising a daughter while studying speech and language pathology at SLU. Her fiance, Sean Matlock, graduated from SLU in December.

“It was hard to balance being a student and having a baby at first, but it got better, and I am getting better at it,” Slais said.

Alex Chapman, a junior, and her boyfriend Tyler Brownfield, a SLU senior graduating in May, have a 10-month-old daughter Mady. Both have been able to continue their education, they say with SLU’s help.

“It is an amazing community that we have here at SLU, one that is very supportive,” Chapman said. “Although there is not exactly a department for pregnant and parenting students, many other departments on campus, including Campus Ministry and Student Life, have been especially supportive.”

Lisa Reiter, director of Campus Ministry, sees supporting student parents and their children as an important duty of the 15 campus ministers in her department

“We want to do everything we can to bring that baby to life, and if they want to be a student here we try to make that as hassle-free as possible,” she said. “We are always committed to the needs of the student.”

One group from SLU is also well on its way to financially supporting pregnant students and those raising children. Students for Life, the pro-life group on campus, is in the process of starting the Virginia D. Murphy Endowment for Pregnant and Parenting Student Assistance. This is a financial assistance program intended to help students through paying for housing, tuition, books and even childcare. The fund is available to part-time or full-time students. The amount given to the student will be based on their particular circumstances.

Students for Life began the work on the fund in 2007 after receiving the second annual Evangelium Vitae Award, in honor of “leadership and excellence in college pro-life activities,” according to the group’s website.

The award provided them with $1,000 for the scholarship, and additional fundraising began soon after in October 2008.

On Feb. 24, 2009, David Murphy, professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, donated $12,500 for the endowment, and named the fund after his late wife. Since it is still in the fundraising process, no student has benefited from the fund yet.

In all, the group has earned $22,000 for the endowment, which is close to their target.

“We are currently in the first phase of fundraising with the initial goal of raising $25,000,” said Brian Reilly, the chair of =the Assistance Fund Committee.

The initial goal of the assistance program was to ensure that everyone has a chance if they want it. The philosophy of the fund is, “No student should ever have to choose between having a child and having an education.”

Other campuses in the St. Louis area are taking further steps to ensure the needs for families attending their institutions. University of Missouri-St. Louis and St. Louis Community Colleges have a childcare center on campus for students and faculty. UMSL’s provides child-care to families in the St. Louis area also.

Both provide financial support to families and single parents. Washington University in St. Louis is set to open a childcare facility in the fall of 2010, but already has one to host children of employees.

“My individual teachers have been great and supportive,” Slais said. “It is sad SLU can’t be as supportive as a whole.”

Alex Chapman agrees that this extra help would be nice to have, but thinks that the University already sufficiently provides for her and her family.

“It has to be noted that SLU’s wide offering of courses and timeframes has given Tyler and me the flexibility to make schedules that allow one of us to be home with Madison while the other is at class,” Chapman said. “SLU undergrads . don’t typically have children and [have] less need for daycare.”

Despite the challenges of being a full time student and a parent, Slais offers these words of advice.

“Stay in school,” Slais said. “It is possible to balance having a baby [with being in school]. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but it is worth it.”

Additional reporting by Jonathan Ernst.