Support for students who were in foster care

If you spent time in foster care, several kinds of help are set up with you in mind, from how the FAFSA treats you to state funds and campus support. This page lays them out in order so you can start the ones that apply.

How the FAFSA treats you

Students who were in foster care at any time since age 13 answer yes to that question on the FAFSA and count as independent. That means you report your own information and leave the parent section blank. The same is true for students who were wards of the court or whose parents both died after that age.

The school may ask for proof, such as a letter from the child welfare agency or a court document. Ask your former caseworker or the state agency for that letter early, since it can take a few weeks to arrive.

Education and Training Vouchers

The Chafee Education and Training Voucher program sends federal money through each state to help young people from foster care pay for college or training. States set the age limits, the application and how the money is paid, and some states pay it to the school while others pay the student. Funds are limited, so applying early in the year helps.

Many states also offer a tuition waiver or grant for students from foster care at public colleges. Search your state child welfare agency or higher education agency for both programs, or ask your independent living coordinator if you still have one.

To gather early

• A letter confirming your time in foster care
• Your state ETV application
• The name of your campus foster youth contact
• A plan for housing over breaks

Help on campus

Many colleges have a program for students from foster care, sometimes run from the dean of students office or a basic needs center. These programs often offer a named staff contact, help with forms, emergency funds and support during breaks. Some schools also keep housing open year-round for students with nowhere else to go.

Ask the financial aid office whether such a program exists, and whether your school has a homeless and foster youth liaison. TRIO Student Support Services, where available, offers advising and tutoring to students who meet its rules.

Planning for gaps

Breaks between terms can bring the hardest weeks, when housing and meal plans close. Ask housing about break options before the term ends, and keep a list of local food pantries. SNAP and campus emergency aid may help during those weeks, and each has its own application.

Health coverage is worth checking too. Former foster youth can often keep Medicaid until age 26, and the state Medicaid office can confirm how that works where you live.