#transgenderfirst

And to any trans folk here and listening, you’re loved and there is relief. There are scholarships geared to us, such as the transgenderfirst scholarship. Hang in there, its not good now but it gets better.

Affording College While Transgender:

Many factors make it difficult for transgender students to access and afford college. But the first one that comes to mind is fear. As a trans person, it can be profoundly challenging to step out of your comfort zone, to dare to be authentic in spaces full of strangers, and to navigate a world that often seems designed to keep you in a box. The college application process is intimidating for anyone, but for students whose identities don’t fit neatly into traditional categories, it can feel utterly alienating. Advisors and counselors may be supportive in theory, but bureaucracy rarely bends to nuance.

Nuance such as being Two Spirit: Two-Spirit is an Indigenous identity that embodies both gender and spiritual roles within our communities. It is a sacred recognition of fluidity in gender and sexuality, one that has been part of Indigenous cultures for many, many generations. Yet in mainstream Western spaces like universities, this identity is often misunderstood, erased, or reduced to a checkbox on a form. Navigating higher education as a Two-Spirit student means balancing the wisdom and traditions of my ancestors with the realities of a modern system that rarely accommodates anything outside the binary.

Even in communities that are outwardly supportive, the threat of violence—whether through hate crimes or systemic discrimination—is real and constant. In today’s political climate, we see this fear play out on a massive scale through anti-trans bills. These laws aren’t abstract—they shape everyday realities. Policies like trans-bathroom laws and trans healthcare bans reinforce exclusion and division, making the world feel smaller and less safe with every step. In order to achieve high education, a student must first feel secure and safe.

Economic barriers compound the struggle. Transgender individuals face unemployment rates nearly double the national average. Discrimination and systemic inequities make it incredibly difficult to afford even basic necessities, let alone college tuition. Scholarships and grants offer hope, but many come with questions like “What is your sex?” These questions can feel like a trap. Do you answer according to your birth certificate, committing a small violence against your own soul? Or do you answer according to your lived experience, risking being seen as dishonest? Too often, the reality of gender and sex is far more complex than any checkbox can capture.

Here is the Queer Ecological Truth: binary sex is a myth. Across the natural world, there is incredible diversity in sex and gender expression. Trans and queer identities are not exceptions—they are part of the natural spectrum, part of evolution. Sexuality and gender are social constructs (aka categories we make up and give meaning to), not rigid categories.

For transgender students, affording college requires more than money—it requires safety, autonomy, and the ability to define your own identity. Speaking from personal experience, higher education can feel hostile to those outside the binary. Fear and financial insecurity are constant companions. I am deeply in debt from student loans, and scholarship applications often demand compromises that feel like erasures of who I am. The path to education for trans students is not just about opportunity—it is about survival, dignity, and the freedom to exist authentically.

Being trans, especially non binary, can actually make it harder to get into college. Some schools genuinely don't recognize non binary as an existing gender and will simply deny the student instead of considering how they should improve their systems. Along with that, single-sex or religious schools especially express that they do not want queer/trans students attending, and I've even personally seen schools that actively denounce or oppose being queer as a whole. This makes it significantly harder for the members of the community who are religious to continue their faith in a religious school.

Even if a trans person does get accepted, safety becomes an issue. According to UCLA's website, in a survey of over 27,000 trans adults, 24% said they were harassed, be it verbally, physically, or sexually. That is horrifying. That is over 6,480 people. These people also face high rates of bullying, even from teachers, who are meant to be authority figures and role models.

Let's add to this lovely stew with debt. It's no secret that college is expensive, that's its own problem. On top of that, though, many trans people have to deal with lack of funding from family that may have disowned them, or the worry that they won't be able to afford HRT or surgery in the future to help alleviate dysphoria. That shouldn't have to be a luxury.

But wait, there's more! According to Lambda Legal, many schools don't acknowledge a student's preferred gender identity. They will be placed in the dorms assigned with their sex from birth, made to use locker rooms they aren't comfortable in, and required to use the restroom assigned to their gender at birth. They make it difficult and sometimes impossible to change your gender on your student ID and in their systems, and some don't even use preferred names, leading to deadnaming from teachers and staff, and by extension, fellow students.

this is no surprise to anyone who’s gone through school. regardless of whether or not you’re out, transitioned, or even aware of your identity, it’s so often i hear the same story from my siblings in queerness. hate comes from all directions—teachers, students, even from those in your own community. time and time again it’s been proven that our chances of success only dwindle when faced with an unsupportive environment.

isn’t it clear that so many lgbtq people live with an extra layer of difficulty? especially today, trying to get through school while it feels as though the entire country has it out for you. do you know what it’s like to be propped as a scapegoat for what’s wrong in the world, while your government focuses on taking your rights away?

transgender people are more likely to be assaulted or killed. we are at a higher risk for homelessness, which then means it’s even harder to survive. now more than ever, in the communities you live, you need to support trans people.

my home state, florida, is so dangerous to be in as a trans person that many queer supporting groups list it as unsafe to travel in whatsoever. legislation here restricts educator’s ability to express themselves freely, allowing gender to be called into question as part of a humiliating display over bathrooms, and taking away countless books with representation differing at all from average heteronormative american values. i’m afraid to even swim alone without repercussion.

please take notice of the issues all transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer students go through. if there is anything you can do to help your trans friends and peers get through their degree programs, consider them. create local resources and networks to understand how to be part of a community safety net. the more that we are in union, the more chance we have to thrive.

if you have the ability to, put effort into locating your closest support groups. contribute to their lists of safe providers, listen to the actual human people. become a part of groups like PFLAG, the ACLU, or other networks that support trans youth such as the one i have linked as my post source.

there is no better time than now to become a friend of the trans community. there is no better time to support those in your area with affirmation, connection, and care.

suggestions to support community

create a study group! find a safe, consistent place to contact and/or meet each other. make efforts to include other students and maintain rules to ensure their safety

share knowledge of local, trans-friendly locations and support trans-run small businesses

go to local drag shows and tip your performers!

donate to organizations fighting for lgbtq rights at the local, state, and federal level

I am not the only trans man in my class anymore. It is a little comforting. He's been offering me rides home since sometimes my partner is in an appointment or something similar and can't pick me up when we get out of class. For the sake of his anonymity I won"t go into a ton of detail. It is good to see however.

Our instructor was telling us about how the industry has been changing, and how much more diverse companies are trying to be now. I just hope he's right, and that what he said applies to me.

The biggest issue I'm having at the moment is I need to change my name, but I have the misfortune of living in a state where it is incredibly expensive. It's about $400 when everything is combined, and that's if the judge approves of the name change. If I get unlucky and get a judge that won't approve it, that will cost more. Thing is, that's a third of my rent. I don't have that sort of money. I was thinking of doing a gofundme or making art for people to raise the funds. I'm hoping having a legally changed name will save some awkward conversations and some headaches for whatever IT people would have to scratch their heads trying to change my name in a ticket system.

This isn't a sponsor or anything, I swear. I want to put this information out there for the people who need it. Going into college as a trans person can be intimidating. Not only are you already isolated from the world because of your identity, but college is expensive as hell for everyone. Most people can't afford it without taking out a loan - Which, if you've heard the stories about the horror of the jacked up interest rates, you probably don't want to do without trying other things first. Not to mention, for trans folks who are pursuing gender-affirming care, the increasing amount of laws preventing us from getting it and the subsequent deluge of healthcare insurance providers pulling out of covering this care is leaving lots of us to pay for it out of pocket, which is ultimately less money we can put towards our education. TFS (Transgender First Scholarship) is one of many new and upcoming scholarships made specifically for the purpose of financially assisting transgender and non-binary people. It helps people like me and many others afford post secondary education.

It's free to apply to, so I encourage any trans person who is thinking of attending college to take advantage of this opportunity. Here are some helpful links to this scholarship and others like it:

https://www.onlinedegree.com/transgender-first-scholarship/#apply

https://pflag.org/resource/chapter-scholarship-programs/

https://www.atrh.org/scholarship

https://gpchemist.acs.org/opportunities/diversity-and-inclusion/noglstp-out-to-innovate-scholarship-for-lgbtq-students-in-stem.html

Anyone who has attended college or is currently attending college knows it is very expensive, and this includes transgender students.

Throughout college, some of the most important things you gain are connections and knowledge. Students can struggle with these things, having to rework their study habits or learn what's socially acceptable all over again, but this can be more difficult for transgender individuals.

A lot of trans individuals have had poor experiences socially due to their identity, especially in high school or the workplace. A large amount of transgender people have been ostracized by some of their peers, bullied, threatened, or ridiculed. On top of that, these same things may have happened or are happening with family members, meaning less financial and emotional support at home. Many have also been kicked out or disowned, myself included, due to their identity. With all of these things in mind, it can be very discouraging for transgender individuals to interact with their peers or professors due to fear of being bullied or ostracized. This can make it difficult for trans people who are struggling to get the help they need to stop struggling. If trans individuals feel they cant speak to their professors or peers for help, they may just sit in silence until its too late to fix anything.

Transgender students are just like anyone else in college right now: they probably can't afford it any more than anyone else. Not to mention gender-affirming care is getting more expensive and difficult to receive.

Luckily, there are a few solutions to make transgender students' lives a little easier.

Making it easier for every student to afford college. This can include student loan relief and more resources being available. This helps both regular and transgender students.

All-gender restrooms being available in most, if not all, student buildings on college campuses. Some colleges have already started doing this.

When I finally graduated high school, I was excited about the possibility of leaving the state for somewhere more accepting. I found a sense of actual community at New College of Florida, where I was looked at and treated as an equal despite my gender identity. New College is known for its openly queer and outspoken student body, and after years of having no friends, New College is the place where I finally developed a friend group that I felt understood me.

Just as soon as I had found some semblance of community, it was ripped from me. Towards the tail end of my first year, the governor of Florida had begun to specifically target New College in hopes of changing the culture of the student body, both scared of Florida's honors college being associated with leftist ideas and wanting a college takeover as a chip to gamble in the upcoming presidential election. Ron Desantis has passed multiple anti-LGBTQ laws in Florida, has banned gender studies and critical race theory, and has openly made it clear that we -- queer students -- are no longer welcome on campus. From tossing dozens of books out of our campus library to painting over student-made murals, Desantis' team as our new administration is actively trying to push out queer students from New College.

New College offered both queer and non-queer students an alternative and accepting education that is hard to find anywhere else. Even with offers being made to help New College students such as the Hampshire tuition match program, many students can not afford to leave Florida, especially without the amazing scholarships, financial aid, and other general opportunities that New College has provided its students in the past. These types of anti-LGBTQ laws aren't just happening in Florida. Without active resistance to conservative education reform, there will be fewer and fewer spaces for transgender students to feel welcome and safe.

If you are interested in learning more about the disadvantages affecting transgender students pursuing education, please visit #TransgenderFirst.