Resources for Students with Children

We recognize that life events can be unpredictable. We will work with any student navigating the birth, adoption or fostering of a child regardless of the timing.

The summer between MS1 and MS2 in the pre-clerkship phase and the clinical and advanced phases of medical school are natural breaks within the curriculum when a student could plan for Family Care Leave.

We encourage students to inform OSA as soon as possible of a Family Care request. Advanced notice facilitates pre-planning and coordination.

We encourage all pregnant students to contact Educational Support and Disability Services, https://www.umaryland.edu/disabilityservices/for-students/

We recommend all pregnant students to contact the UMB Title IX office who can provide information and coordinate in the prevention of sex discrimination and ensure students equal access to UMB resources. We also recommend contacting the UMB office of Educational Support and Disability Services to help coordinate any potential accommodations related to leave or clinical work during pregnancy. [Title IX:  https://www.umaryland.edu/titleix/tix-pregnant-7-23-2024.php; ESDS:  https://www.umaryland.edu/disabilityservices/]

We encourage all students who are considering family planning or are pregnant to discuss with their provider any potential exposures during their medical school curriculum.

• Any student may choose to take Family Care Leave for 12 months returning the following year at the same time as they left the curriculum, maintaining their place in medical school and delaying graduation by 1 year. This maximizes their exposure to the formative in-person, interactive learning.
• Any Family Care Leave would not count towards the 6-year graduation policy.
• The student should meet with OSA to discuss their timeline and the implications of the attendance policy.

• Please refer above for examples of how Family Care Leave is noted in the MSPE
• Family Care Leave will be noted as “Approved Leave” unless a student chooses to designate as Medical/Personal/Family Care. This decision should be discussed with OSA.
• When applicable, deviations from the curriculum will be noted in the MSPE under the Academic History section in “Extensions, Leaves, Gaps or Breaks"

• It is an NRMP Match Violation to ask a candidate about Family Status.
• Match Communication Code of Conduct
• Refraining from asking illegal or coercive questions
  Program directors shall recognize the negative consequences that can result from questions about age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and family status, and shall ensure that communication with applicants remains focused on the applicant’s goodness of fit within their programs.
• Any additional concerns that a student may have regarding being a parent or pregnant during residency interviews can be directed towards the Office of Student Affairs.

• Student Health Center
• Student Health Insurance Plan
• Steps to locate current Coverage Determination Guidelines (CDGs)
• Breast pumps, lactation support, and counseling services are considered under the Preventive Care benefit if billed per PPACA guidelines. Services rendered by a preferred provider; would be considered at 100% of the preferred allowance. No deductible, copay, or coinsurance would apply. Out of network would have a $200 deductible and then be covered at 100% of usual and customary charges. The preferred provider for this plan is United Healthcare Choice Plus. A student may contact the following preferred providers listed below for the breast pump.
• Edgepark Medical Supplies - 800-321-0591
• McKesson/Target Breast Pump Program -855-406-7687
• Please note, this does not guarantee payment. We are not able to determine if and what benefits are payable until an actual claim for services is received. Benefit payment shall be subject to all deductible, copayment, coinsurance, exclusions, and limitations, or any other provisions of the policy effective at the time of service.
• Student with questions regarding student health insurance coverage can contact Meghan Bruce Bojo:

  • Meghan Bruce Bojo

    Executive Director, Academic Administration

    Office of the Provost

    mbojo@umaryland.edu | 410-706-2055

• UMB Police on Lactation Support for Nursing Mothers
• UMB recognizes the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants and is committed to supporting nursing mothers. This policy applies to employees (both faculty and staff) and students. Learn more about the policy
• Lactation Map for the UMB
• Lactation Map for the Midtown Campus

Are there childcare resources for Student Parents?

• Yes, we encourage students to review UMB resources through the Intercultural Center
• Child Care - Aunt Bertha

A search engine that provides results by zip code “for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food, job training, and more,” including childcare.

Downtown Baltimore Child Care

237 N. Arch St. ~ 410-659-0515

High-quality early education and childcare for infants as young as 12 weeks through children in prekindergarten (age 4 turning 5 years) is available at Downtown Baltimore Child Care (DBCC), located between Saratoga and Lexington streets directly across from the Saratoga Street Garage. DBCC is accredited by the Maryland Statement Department of Education.

Hours are 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Call for full-time monthly rates.

Maryland Family Network

Resources and information regarding childcare in the state of Maryland, including voucher information.

• Mobtown Mommies
  • An active Facebook group for Baltimore-based parents.

• DJCC
  • A family parenting center based in downtown Baltimore. Visit site for membership fee. All faiths are welcome.

• UMB: Intercultural Leadership and Engagement: Resources for Student Parents and Caregivers

Child Care

• Child Care Scholarship (CSS) Program

  • CSS provides financial assistance with child care costs to eligible working families in Maryland. Eligible families receive payment vouchers that can be utilized by child care providers. 

• Aunt Bertha

  • A search engine that provides results by ZIP code “for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food, job training, and more,” including childcare.

• Downtown Baltimore Child Care
  • 237 N. Arch St. | 410-659-0515
  • High-quality early education and child care for infants as young as 12 weeks through children in pre-kindergarten (age 4 turning 5 years) is available at Downtown Baltimore Child Care (DBCC), located between Saratoga and Lexington streets directly across from the Saratoga Street Garage. DBCC is accredited by the Maryland Statement Department of Education. Hours are 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Call for full-time monthly rates.

• Maryland Family Network

  • Resources and information regarding child care in Maryland, including voucher information.

• All SOM medical students are required to pay 8 full terms of tuition.
• We encourage students to reach out to financial aid individually.

Financial Aid Contact Information
aidtalk@umaryland.edu
University Student Financial Assistance
601 W. Lombard St. Suite 221
Baltimore, MD 21201
P TTY/Voice 800-735-2258

• Information regarding the additional childcare expense can be found here.

• No. Based on Title IX, schools are not allowed to end or reduce your merit or need-based scholarships based on pregnancy. If the student remains in good academic standing in your program, the student must be allowed to keep their financial aid and scholarships.

• For UMB, all graduate/professional students are considered independent for the purposes of financial aid and if they become pregnant, the FAFSA® would not have to be updated. UMB only uses the student or student and spouses income and asset information to determine eligibility for financial aid.
• If the student is pregnant when filing FAFSA®, but the child will be born that award year, the student should still include the child in the household size. Be sure to preserve a copy of an ultrasound and other medical records just in case FAFSA® wants to verify the application
• If the student has additional expenses such as medical expenses not covered by insurance or child day care expenses, they can request a cost of attendance increase. That request would be reviewed and considered based on medical expenses paid by the student not covered by insurance and child day care expense not to exceed the IRS allowance of $2,500. The cost of attendance is reviewed based on the academic year the expenses were incurred. For child day care expenses, financial aid is not able to cover cost associated with a nanny, childcare or anything considered tuition.

• There are a lot of factors to consider when determining whether or not you have to pay back the aid you received such as:

When in the academic semester do you plan to leave?

Are you dropping out or taking a course while on leave?

Is the aid institutional or federal?

Taking time off from school may have an impact on your student loans, depending on your student status during your time off. To learn more about how your extended leave of absence affects your loans, contact your loan servicer and/or lender.

• Make sure you contact the financial aid office before taking an extended absence.
  • If a student is out of school for more than 14 days, that student would be considered withdrawn for that term and any federal loans they have received would begin the grace period. In most cases, the student returns for the next term which allows them not to make payments on the loans they have received. Taking off a semester usually means the student graduates a semester after their class.
  • For any student who is out for a semester, financial aid would like to meet with the student to review their loans and provide them with repayment information as the repayment for the loans they have prior to the time off are treated differently than any new loans they may receive.

* Resources will be updated as often as appropriate. The descriptions above are not a substitute for contacting and engaging with the OSA to review each student’s individual circumstances. Questions or concerns not included within the Resources should be addressed with OSA directly.

The Office of Educational Support and Disability Services (ESDS) coordinates services to assist students with disabilities in obtaining reasonable accommodations through an interactive process involving the student and the school.

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex or gender, including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, as well as retaliation for reporting Title IX-prohibited behaviors or participating in Title IX processes. Through our policies and procedures, UMB not only fulfills its regulatory requirements, it also communicates the expectations UMB has for our community, the actions required, or requested, of our community if they experience or observe sexual misconduct, and the actions our community can expect from UMB when it receives reports of sexual misconduct.

We recommend all pregnant students to contact the UMB Title IX office who can provide information and coordinate in the prevention of sex discrimination and ensure students equal access to UMB resources. We also recommend contacting the UMB office of Educational Support and Disability Services to help coordinate any potential accommodations related to leave or clinical work during pregnancy. [Title IX:  https://www.umaryland.edu/titleix/tix-pregnant-7-23-2024.php; ESDS:  https://www.umaryland.edu/disabilityservices/]

UMB Student Affairs

Student Parental Leave

Resources for Student Parents and Caregivers