College $$$ for foster care alumni
Sadly, only 3% of foster care alumni will earn a bachelor’s degree compared to 60% of the general population.
Many states now offer full tuition exemption to state and community college for kids who spent anytime in foster care including adopted foster children.
Most states also offer Education and Training Vouchers (ETV). These are federal funds, up to $5,000 per year.
A few notes:
- Most of these programs have upper age limits. For example, ETV is only available until age 23.
- Many states offer reciprocity.
- There are of course many deadlines and details. Please start working on this well ahead of when your child graduates high school
The good news is that every state offers something!
Click Next for the full state-by-state list.
| State | ETV | Waivers, Scholarships, Grants |
| Alabama | EVT | |
| Alaska | Tuition Waiver! | |
| Arizona | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Arkansas | EVT | |
| California | EVT | |
| Colorado | EVT | |
| Connecticut | Tuition Waiver! | |
| Delaware | EVT | |
| Florida | Tuition Waiver! | |
| Georgia | EVT | |
| Hawaii | EVT | |
| Idaho | EVT | |
| Illinois | EVT | Grant |
| Indiana | EVT | Scholarship |
| Iowa | EVT | |
| Kansas | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Kentucky | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Louisiana | EVT | |
| Maine | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Maryland | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Massachusetts | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Michigan | EVT | Scholarship |
| Minnesota | EVT | |
| Mississippi | Tuition Waiver! | |
| Missouri | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Montana | EVT | |
| Nebraska | EVT | |
| Nevada | EVT | |
| New Hampshire | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| New Jersey | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| New Mexico | Tuition Waiver! | |
| New York | EVT | Scholarship |
| North Carolina | EVT | Scholarship |
| North Dakota | EVT | |
| Ohio | EVT | |
| Oklahoma | EVT | Tuition Waiver |
| Oregon | EVT | Tuition Waiver |
| Pennsylvania | EVT | |
| Rhode Island | EVT | Grant |
| South Carolina | Grant | |
| South Dakota | EVT | |
| Tennessee | EVT | Grant |
| Texas | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Utah | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Vermont | EVT | |
| Virginia | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Washington | EVT | Scholarship |
| West Virginia | EVT | Tuition Waiver! |
| Wisconsin | EVT | Feb 2018 – WI is considering a bill to offer a Tuition Waiver! |
| Wyoming | EVT |
(If you can add to this list, or have any corrections please be sure to let me know.)
Photo by William Stitt on Unsplash
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