In response to the anti-abortion laws that have recently spread across the US, prospective college students are rejecting schools in states with abortion bans. According to The New York Post, high schoolers are now “scared” to attend college in Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, and Louisiana — the six states that have introduced “heartbeat bills.”
“This is a serious thing,” Amanda Uhry, a private-school admissions consultant in New York City told The New York Post. “I’ve had 61 college-admission clients remove Georgia and Ohio schools from their list for next year.”
Under the proposed anti-abortion laws, if a student becomes pregnant it would be extremely difficult (if even possible) for them to get an abortion. Around 11 percent of college students in the US will experience rape or sexual assault on campus.
“After reading about the abortion restrictions approved by Missouri lawmakers, I had to take action,” Anna Fritz, a student in California told The New York Times. “I sent an email to the admissions officers at one of my top choices, Washington University in St. Louis. I told them I could not attend school in a state where my rights are not respected.”
Many young people are concerned not just about the abortion laws, but how these states would value their rights. Unfortunately, not all students who are worried about their futures have the privilege of escaping the restrictive abortion bans.
Students rejecting schools is just another way people are trying to send the government a message about reproductive rights. Last week, thousands attended #stoptheban demonstrations to demand that access to abortion is protected. Many in Hollywood, including Netflix, are also threatening to boycott these states if these dangerous bills go into effect.