College: It’s Not Just A Dream
Helping youth from foster care
pursue education after high school
2016 WFAA Fall Conference
College: It’s not just a dream
It’s a little different for youth who
experienced foster care
It’s a Financial Reality
It’s a PLAN!
Washington Student Achievement Council2
What should educators know about students in foster care?
Washington Student Achievement Council
or WASFA
4
• Children and youth in care want to be treated like other students.
• Youth in foster care have many strengths.
• Students in foster care want to be empowered with decision making and engage in goal setting.
• Maintaining confidentiality and sensitivity is very important.
Just Like Us
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Social/Emotional Needs
• Children and youth come into foster care through no fault of their own.
• Children and youth in foster care have experienced tremendous loss.
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• Students in foster care are a mobile population.
• Children and youth often enter foster care with gaps in their education.
• Children and youth in foster care often lack consistent adults who can serve as educational advocates.
Educational Impact
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• Children and youth with disabilities account for at least 40 – 47 % of children in foster care.
• Children and youth in foster care may have inappropriate special education or mental health diagnosis.
Disability
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• Once a child or youth enters foster care, there are many child welfare professionals working with them.
• Federal and state legislation supports students in foster care.
• Supports and resources are available to help youth transition out of foster care and pay for college.
• Connect students with disabilities to appropriate adult services before they leave high school.
How to Help
It’s not just a dream…
College: It’s a Financial Reality
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Simple Message:
If a young person has been in foster care at anytime after turning 13, his or her classes will likely be paid for at most Washington State colleges.
Here’s why…
Federal Financial Aid
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Washington Student Achievement Council12
Formula for Determining Aid
• Cost of Attendance (COA)
Established and varies by school
• Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Determined by FAFSA and same for all schools
• Financial Aid Formula
COA – EFC = “need”
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Filling Financial “Need”
• Need based aid – based on financial need as demonstrated by the FAFSA.
• Merit Based Aid – based on academic achievement-GPA/SAT/ etc.
• Gift Aid – grants, scholarships that do not need to be paid back
• Self-Help Aid – includes loans and work study that need to be earned or paid back.
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FAFSA EFC
EFC = Expected Family Contribution
• Student’s (and their family’s) ability to pay for college.
• A student’s EFC determines the amount of gift they will receive.
• Most gift aid comes from the federal and state government and is based solely on financial need.
• Gift aid does not need to re-paid!
State Financial Aid Programs
Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
• College Bound Scholarship
• State Need Grant
• Passport to College Scholarship
Department of Social and Health Services (Children’s Administration)
• Education and Training Voucher
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State Aid - WSAC
College Bound Scholarship
• Students auto-enrolled if they are a dependent of the state between 7th and 12th grade – or up to age 21 if they have not graduated from high school.
• State commitment to provide the student with enough state financial aid to cover tuition, plus a small book allowance.
State Need Grant
• State’s largest financial aid program.
• CBS students receive priority for State Need Grant funding.
• Foster youth receive priority funding.
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State Aid - WSAC
Passport to College Scholarship
• Eligibility requirements: State dependency in Washington for at least one year after age 16,
and in care at age 17.5 or emancipation.
Attendance at an eligible college in Washington.
Enrollment in college prior to age 22.
• Provides up to $4,500 per year to help cover a student’s cost of attendance.
• 50 colleges have a Viable Plan for supporting Passport students. Support services are funded through a state incentive grant.
• Contract with College Success Foundation for student outreach, mentoring, and professional development for colleges and community supporters.
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Passport to College Application
• Passport Consent form available at:http://readysetgrad.org/college/passport-foster-youth-promise-program
• Common application available at:www.independence.wa.gov
• FAFSAIndicates foster care / independent filing status
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State Aid – Children’s Administration
Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program
• Provides financial assistance to eligible students to attend an accredited college or university, vocational or technical college.
• Maximum ETV award in 2016-17 is $5,000.
• Awards are unique to each student and are determined based on unmet financial need.
• ETV can be used if attending college in another state.
• Running Start students may be eligible for up to $2,000. Books and supplies Fees Transportation Parking pass
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State Aid – Children’s Administration
To be eligible for the ETV program, the student must meet at least one of the following criteria:
16 to 20 years old, in a dependency action in WA state or tribal court, in the custody of DSHS or tribal welfare agency, and in foster care.
18 to 20 years old and exited state or tribal foster care because they turned 18.
Enrolled in the Extended Foster Care program.
16 to 20 years old and left care for an adoptive or relative guardianship.
Students must: Receive funds before turning 21, but not older than 23. Be eligible for aid and have unmet need. Enroll at least half-time and take at least one 100-level course. Maintain satisfactory academic progress (2.0 GPA or higher).
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ETV – Eligible and Ineligible Uses
Eligible:
▫ Tuition, books and supplies, including a uniform
▫ Rent and housing deposit
▫ Utilities and phone bill
▫ Food and personal expenses
▫ Safeway gift card
▫ Childcare
▫ Transportation costs, vehicle repair, maintenance and insurance
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Ineligible:
▫ Alcohol and tobacco products
▫ Car tabs / licensing
▫ Regular clothing
▫ Furniture
▫ Household appliances & housewares
▫ Cell phones
▫ Vehicle payments
ETV Application Process
• New applicants: Complete online application
• Renewal Applicants: Online application will be available for the 2017-18 academic year
• Deadlines: Priority: January 1 – April 30
Waitlist: May 1 – July 31
The ETV program is still accepting applications. Applications are processed in the order they are received.
www.independence.wa.gov
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ETV Supporting Documents
If a student is approved to participate in ETV, staff will request the following:
• ETV Participant Agreement
• ETV Consent Form
• FAFSA Confirmation email or Student Aid Report (SAR)
• Financial aid award letter showing cost of attendance (COA)
• Class schedule with number of credits
• Unofficial transcripts with GPA
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Here’s some great news!
Jack’s Story
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Whose income needs to be on
Jack’s FAFSA?
• Entered foster care at age 10
• Was adopted at 14
• Currently a high school senior
• Plans to attend Eastern Washington University
• Worked as a camp counselor
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Review:
• Foster care after thirteenth birthday = “independent student.”
• Independent students DO NOT have to include any guardian’s financial info on the FAFSA.
• Jack’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is only based on his own income.
• Jack’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is ZERO!
• Therefore Jack’s “need” is the full “cost of attendance” (Remember COA-EFC=“Need”).
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What Does Having a Zero EFC Mean?
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Simple message:
If a young person has been in foster care at any time after turning 13, his or her classes will likely be paid for at most Washington State colleges.
Why is it important to share this
message with young people as
soon as possible?
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Eliminate Finances as a Barrier to Belief!
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College Bound high school graduation rate is more than 10 points higher than low-income student rate!
The College Bound Effect
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Preparing for College....
It’s Not Just A Dream …
It’s a Plan!
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• Provides youth the opportunity for their voices to be heard
to create personally meaningful goals
• Increases motivation
• Builds self-determination
• Helps youth identify needs and/or extracurricular activities they want to
participate in (community engagement/ social capital)
people they can count on
Why Create a Youth-Driven Plan?
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• Believing you can control your own destiny.
• A combination of attitudes and abilities that lead people to set goals for themselves and take the initiative to reach them.
• Not necessarily the same as self-sufficiency or independence.
• Taking control and responsibility for one’s life.
• Experiencing the consequences of making choices.
What is Self Determination?
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• People and levels of support may change over time (e.g., placement changes, “aging out”).
• Desire to “protect” youth in foster care may hinder opportunities to build self-determination.
• Decisions are often made for them not by them.
• There may be few opportunities to take supported risks.
Importance of Self Determination for Youth
Who Experience Foster Care
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Tools for Building a Youth Driven Plan
• Sociogram
• Community Integration Tool
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Sociogram
• Helps youth identify Sources of support
People they can count on
Extracurricular/leisure activities
A “champion” for their plan
• Allows youth to visualize their relationships and the value of them.
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Community Integration Tool
• Address skills needed to successfully transition to adult life.
• May also be useful as a starting point, if youth (or family) has a hard time talking about or identifying personally meaningful goals.
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This tool is helpful, if youth has a hard time talking about career or educational goals.
Community Integration Tool
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Write Down Action Items
Can be on paper, smartphone, or
computer
Encourages self evaluation and
monitoring
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Cultivate Belief!
Connect to helpful people!
Be a champion of their plan!
Now That the Youth Has a Plan…
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Connect them to resources and people who can help!
• www.ReadySetGrad.org/fostercare
• www.independence.wa.gov
Kathy Ramsay Dawn Cypriano McAferty
DSHS, ETV WSAC, Passport to College
[email protected] [email protected]
What’s Next?
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