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Support Services for Youth in Transition: Education
Resources discuss strategies to help transitioning youth achieve academic success, including information on goal setting, financial aid, vouchers, and more. Resources include State and local examples.
Building a Campus Support Network for Students Emerging From Foster Care (PDF - 267 KB)
The Advisory Board (2009)
Provides eight key observations to help school administrators provide better support for students emerging from foster care.
College Access, Financial Aid, and College Success for Undergraduates From Foster Care (PDF - 2181 KB)
Davis (2006)
Presents data on educational outcomes for undergraduate students from foster care and provides recommendations for making higher education accessible to more youth in foster care and for improving the rate at which youth in foster care complete degree programs.
Connected by 25: Financing Education Supports for Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care (PDF - 870 KB)
Flynn-Khan & Bhat (2008)
Describes five financing strategies to support education success programs and services for youth currently in or transitioning from foster care, including information on funding sources, engaging partners, and considerations for implementation.
It's My Life: Postsecondary Education and Training Guide
Casey Family Programs (2006)
Gives child welfare professionals information and tools to help youth prepare for and complete postsecondary education or training, including information on standardized tests, financial aid, study skills, student housing, support for students with special needs, and more. (PDF - 1007 KB)
Supporting Success: Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students From Foster Care: A Framework for Program Enhancement (PDF - 3700 KB)
Casey Family Programs (2010)
Provides guidelines to college counselors, administrators, professors, and staff for starting, building, and refining an approach to supporting students from foster care.
Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: University Support (PDF - 268 KB)
Openshaw & Moore
Illinois Child Welfare, (4)1, 2008
Presents information on how a university can provide ongoing support to college-bound students who have left foster care and recommends foster parent training to help them better prepare foster children for independent living.
State and local examples
Foster Care to College Partnership: Evaluation of Education Outcomes For Foster Youth (PDF - 616 KB)
Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2009)
Evaluates Washington's Foster Care to College Partnership that was aimed at increasing the high school graduation and college attendance rate for youth aging out of foster care.
Getting Foster Youth to and Through College: Successes and Challenges of the New Jersey Foster Care Scholars Program (PDF - 300 KB)
Davis & Losey (2008)
Describes the development of a scholarship program in New Jersey for youth in foster care to attend college, including financial, academic, and emotional outcomes for participants.
Helping Former Foster Youth Graduate From College: Campus Support Programs in California and Washington State (PDF - 599 KB)
Dworsky & Pérez (2009)
Examines campus support program implementation from two perspectives: interviews with the directors of 10 campus support programs and a survey of participants. The report concludes with several recommendations for moving forward with a methodologically sound impact evaluation of campus support programs for former youth in foster care.
Passport to College Promise Scholarship Program
Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board (2009)
Encourages current and former foster care youth to prepare for, attend, and successfully complete higher education. This program includes recommendations on providing these students with educational planning information, institutional support, and direct financial resources.
Youth Aging Out Survey, Issue: Education (PDF-132 KB)
National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (2009)
Provides the State answers to the survey question: What strategies or initiatives does your State use to get better education outcomes for youth? This survey captures information related to youth residing in and aging out of the public child welfare system so that States can access and utilize model programs and practices that have been implemented in other States.