There are about 50,000 former foster care students who are eligible for tuition and fee waivers to be used at public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education in Texas. Of that number, fewer than five percent are taking advantage of the fee waiver. In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3748 that requires, in part, that public colleges and universities establish a foster care liaison at each institution. This bill was co-sponsored by State Senator Royce West (Dallas).
(Here is the link to HB 3748)
I established a foster care alumni program ten years ago at the community college in Austin, the capital of Texas. The program I established has received national recognition. Before the passage of HB 3748, I was called upon by institutions from throughout Texas to advise them on establishing foster care programs. These colleges include the flagship campuses at the two Tier One University systems in Texas. This article was written in response to those requests.
This new legislation also requires institutions to report on the academic progress of these foster students. These reports will require tracking through multiple state agencies.
- A common question is how institutions can identify whether the student was in foster care.
- Once the student is identified, which department is best equipped to assist the student in accessing college resources.
- What resources are available for foster students?
“Mary” (not her real name) came to one of our campuses after seeing one of our “Aging Out” posters at her high school and contacted our program about wanting to start college. We helped her to obtain her tuition fee waiver letter from the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. This waiver letter was then submitted to our Admissions and Records office, once she applied to college. We helped her get connected to college resources through our Jump Start Orientation program, which is free. She worked with our Campus Champions (counselors or advisors trained to work with foster students) to schedule her classes and obtain books through the Lending Library. She also utilized the financial aid office to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) and the Champion to apply for the Education Training Voucher (ETV). This voucher is a federally funded program that eligible foster students can use to obtain up to $5000 per year. These funds can be used for a wide variety of purposes including housing. (See www.TexasETV.com for more details on this program). She participated in our monthly mentoring meet-ups which include a variety of topics and free lunch. She maintained a 2.5 grade point average and the 67% course completion rate to continue receiving financial aid. She was able to serve as a paid mentor to other foster care students through our work-study arrangement with the financial aid department. She eventually graduated from our college and transferred to a four-year university where she later earned her bachelor’s and masters’ degrees. She is now gainfully employed and working with other foster youth to assist them in obtaining their benefits. This is an example of some of the services that are available to foster students at colleges or universities with programs.
In my experience, foster students may require additional psychological or medical services due to trauma while they were in care. In order to address these issues, it is important to build relationships with outside agencies.
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This is an excellent program and has been helpful for many students I have worked with. Thank you for all that you do for the children in foster care!
I have read so many articles or reviews about the blogger lovers however this article is actually a nice paragraph, keep it up. Glen Mosson