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• By definition foster youth have been subject to two traumatic experiences: • the neglect or abuse that brought them to the
attention of the authorities • the removal from their family
• These traumatic experiences are the root of the unique barriers to higher education opportunities faced by foster youth
More than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States.
Studies show that foster youth, especially those who “age out” without a permanent family, are much more likely to experience poverty, unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and compromised health after they leave foster care.
It is estimated that only 54% of these youth earn a high school diploma, and 2% earn a Bachelor’s degree or higher.
Fifty-one percent experience chronic unemployment.
National Statistics
The rate at which foster youth attend college is 20%
The rate at which their peers attend
college is 60%
Wisconsin Foster Youth
• Approximately 7,300 youth currently in foster care
• Approximately 400 youth annually exit care (“age out”) at age 18 in Wisconsin (almost half from Milwaukee County)
Wisconsin Youth Attending Postsecondary Education
Year Number of Youth
Attending Postsecondary
Education
Number of Youth
Receiving DCF Scholarship
2010 373 218
2011 337 210
2012 317 186
2013 427 190
2014 430 200
Source: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
Midwest Evaluation of Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth
Iowa, Illinois & Wisconsin Youth Outcomes at Age 26 (2011)
http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/Midwest%20Evaluation_Report_4_10_12.pdf
HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED BY GENDARTotal
(N=593)Females
(N=330)Males
(N=263)# % # % # %
No HS Diploma or GED 118 19.9 57 17.3 61 23.2HS Diploma Only 182 30.7 96 29.1 86 32.7GED Only 56 9.4 27 8.2 29 11.0At Least 1 Year of College 188 31.7 114 34.5 74 28.12-Year Degree 26 4.4 18 5.5 8 3.04-Year degree 15 2.5 12 3.6 3 1.11 or More Years of Grad School 8 1.3 6 1.8 2 0.8
Foster Youth to College Advisory Group
FYC created with the first (1999) publishing of Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (Chapin Hall longitudinal study)
79% of youth indicated a desire to go to college
12-18 months after aging out, only 55% had completed high school
Only 9% had entered college
Our Mission
To address the postsecondary educational challenges faced by youth in foster care and encourage college
readiness and enrollment.
To engage social workers, independent living counselors & the postsecondary community in
encouraging and supporting foster youth to, and through, college.
Who We Are
• Wisconsin Technical College System (System Office)
• Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (Association Office)
• University of Wisconsin System (System & Campuses)
• Secondary Education (School Counselor)
• Department of Public Instruction (WEOP)
• Department of Children and Families (Independent Living Coordinator)
Barriers
• Frequent disruption of education by changes in school placement: Research suggests loss of an average of 4-6 months of educational attainment each time a student changes schools
• Youth often not aware of college opportunities
• Youth often lack sufficient practical knowledge and skills to successfully navigate the college application process
• Youth often perceive the cost of college as an insurmountable barrier
• Youth have a high incidence of homelessness after leaving care
Barriers
• Lack of expectations and encouragement for college attendance by those responsible for the care and education of foster youth
• Foster care is unfamiliar to most of those who staff America’s institutions of postsecondary education
“College is not something people talk to foster children about…they don’t grow up with that cultural expectation…they are not even expected to succeed academically…but once we start expecting them to succeed they will.”
Former Foster Youth
BREAKING BARRIERS
Regionalized System of Services for Aged-Out Youth
Federally required activities and services to be offered for youth no longer in OHC ages 18-21
• Life Skills Instruction• Mentoring• Safe and stable housing, home upkeep and maintenance• Identified Income/Employment/Career Planning• Employment training and work support• Secondary education completion and postsecondary
enrollment and completion• Health and Medical• Budgeting and financial planning• Healthy Marriage• Resource and referral• Life long connections to caring adults
Breaking Barriers
• Youth resiliency• Desire for college education• Foster youth have same aspirations and academic
aptitude as their peers
• More state departments of child welfare are engaged with educational planning
• Colleges are more aware of the unique needs of foster youth
• Promising increase in youth accessing higher education in the last five years
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
A child in foster care will enroll or remain in the child’s school of origin, unless a determination is made that it is not in the child’s best interest to attend that school;
If a determination is made that it is not in the child’s best interest to remain in the school of origin, the child will be immediately enrolled in a new school, even if the child is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment; and
A new (enrolling) school immediately contacts the school of origin to obtain relevant academic and other records.
DCF Scholarship
Scholarship awards up to $5,000 for youth who have been in out-of-home care
and
are entering an accredited degree, license, or certificate program
DCF Scholarship Eligibility• Youth who left a court ordered placement at age 18
or older
• Transitioned from a court ordered out-of-home placement to guardianship or adoption after age 16
• Accepted by a postsecondary institution at the time scholarship application is submitted
• Be age 20 or younger, unless enrolled in a postsecondary program and receiving the DCF Scholarship on 21st birthday, extending eligibility to age 23
dcf.wisconsin.gov
Independent Status for Financial Aid Purposes
• Youth who age-out of care are designated independent
• Students adopted on or after their 13th birthday are not required to include their parents’ income on the FAFSA to increase financial aid opportunities (Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act)
Financial Aid• DCF Scholarship
($5,000 maximum: subject to adjustment)
• Federal Pell Grant
(2017-18 maximum $5,920)
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
($100-$4000)
• Wisconsin Grant (Currently $250-$3000)
• (State)TIP Grant $600 to $1,800 for initial awards, $250 minimum continuing award, maximum continuing award set annually by HEAB (may not exceed $1,800
Other Scholarship Sources for Foster Youth
• Foster Care to Success Scholarship
fc2success.org
• National Foster Parent Association
www.nfpainc.org
• A good scholarship search source
fastweb.com
• Others! Search the Web!
States with
Tuition Waivers
for Foster Youth
STATES WITH TUITION WAIVERS (OR SOME VARIATION) FOR FOSTER YOUTH
Arizona New Hampshire
Connecticut New Jersey
Florida North Carolina
Kansas Oklahoma
Kentucky Oregon
Maine Rhode Island
Maryland South Carolina
Massachusetts Texas
Minnesota Utah
Missouri Virginia
West Virginia
Housing
Unlike the vast majority of traditional and nontraditional students, youth who age out of care have no where to go during semester breaks.
What YOU Can Do
• Be attentive and make that extra effort for youth in out-of-home care
• Encourage precollege programs participation• Encourage college preparation • Assist with college applications, financial aid
forms, and other parts of the transition to college• Connect youth to opportunities: Wisconsin
Education Fairs, college visits, application assistance, College Goal Wisconsin, etc.
• Be that caring adult!
What YOU Can Do
• Know who the Foster Youth to College contact is on your campus
• Educate your colleagues (recruitment & admissions, financial aid, advisors, M/D coordinators, precollege staff, residence life, faculty, administrators, etc.)
• Connect with foster youth• Assist with student and academic services and support• Reach out and stay in touch• Help resolve problems, issues, questions (don’t simply refer!)• Help identify resources and opportunities for student
engagement and to enhance the academic and social experience
• Congratulate on successes
Higher Education Foster Youth Contacts
• University of Wisconsin System• Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges
and Universities• Wisconsin Technical College System
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/youthservices/college