Women's College to Accept Applicants Who 'Identify' as Female

Hollins University, a private women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia, has updated its admissions policy and is now accepting applications from individuals who “identify” as female, to keep up with the “evolving understanding of gender identity” in today’s society. Students that are already enrolled and are biological females that identify as males, on the other hand, will be forced to transfer away from Hollins.

Hollins University updated its admissions policy last month to include applicants from people who “identify as women,” according to the university’s website, which added that it made this change “in light of society’s evolving understanding of gender identity.”

The school, which was founded in 1842 — making it one of the nation’s oldest universities for women — had first changed its transgender policy in 2007 by allowing biological males who had completed a full gender reassignment surgery to apply for admission, according to the Roanoke Times.

Now, Hollins University has decided to take its policy a step further, allowing biological males who have not undergone a full reassignment surgery to apply for admission, so long as they “identify” as women.

“In furtherance of our mission, tradition, and values as a women’s college, and in recognition of our changing world and evolving understanding of gender identity, Hollins will consider for admission those applicants who consistently live and identify as women,” said Hollins University of its newly updated policy.

“Hollins will continue to use gendered language that reflects our identity as a women’s college in institutional communications and policies,” the school added.

As for biological females identifying as males (who have already been enrolled at the school), they will be required to transfer from the university before next semester if they decide to further their transitioning to males via hormones and surgery, according to the Roanoke Times.

Moving forward, biological women “who now identify as male are not eligible for admission,” according to Hollins University.

Nonetheless, the school maintains that its mission “to provide an exceptional undergraduate liberal arts education for women” remains unchanged.

“The Board’s decision reaffirms our mission in light of society’s evolving understanding of gender identity,” said Hollins University.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.