About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (August 12, 2016)

handle is hein.crs/govcdzy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: .........SE ;0r h,.. , . August 12, 2016 Foster Youth: Higher Education Outcomes and Federal Support This brief provides information about the challenges for current and former foster youth (hereinafter, foster youth, unless further specified) in enrolling in and completing higher education. It also discusses federal financial resources for foster youth. Federal programs that are intended to encourage college attendance provide student support services and financial aid. These and other education-focused programs targeted to foster youth have generally not been rigorously evaluated to determine if they assist the population in completing college. According to the research literature, foster youth are more likely to face challenges in graduating from high school. Foster youth face a number of obstacles that can begin in elementary school and likely contribute to lower test scores and lower graduation rates. Such obstacles include frequent moves while in foster care that lead to multiple and mid- year school changes, absences from school, disciplinary issues, and unmet special education needs. A study by researchers with the University of Chicago is tracking the educational and other outcomes of youth who emancipated from foster care in three Midwestern states. The most recent survey of these youth found that at age 26, 20% did not have a high school diploma or GED, compared to about 6% of their peers (as reported in the Adolescent Health Survey). They were also less likely to have attended at least one year of college by age 26 than other young adults generally 26% vs. 32%. Figure I. Education Outcomes of Foster Care Alumni in Three Midwest States and Youth Generally, Age 26 SAdoiescc:nt Heat Survey ,Mkewest Evak,,ation Sthdy One ormoe years of 2,8% graduate schoc; O.7% Four-year cottege degree 2 3% 112.5% Two-,ea, coeege degr-ee \04.4% One or more ,eA, oftolege, & 2 7, but no degree -- 7 GED on:y N .% High sc eoot d4ptona ortty 3.7 m& 0% 20% 40% Source: CRS, based on Mark E. Courtney et al., Midwest Evaluation on the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth, 2011. This finding is consistent with multiple studies showing lower college attendance rates for foster youth. Lower high school completion rates for foster youth are a contributing factor. Other factors may include a youth's inability to meet selective admission standards at four-year schools; the cost of higher education; a belief by the youth that college is not for them; and a lack of knowledge about the process of applying to college, including high school course work needed, how and when to apply, and how to access financial aid. As shown in Figure 1, fewer than 7% of the foster care alumni in the Midwest Evaluation study received a two- year (4.4%) or four-year (2.5%) college degree, compared to over one-third of young adults the same age. A May 2016 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified that barriers to persisting in school can include that former foster youth in college have few emotional and familial supports, are often preoccupied with the need to support themselves financially, and struggle to overcome a weak academic foundation. Federal funding and other supports for current and former foster youth are in place to help these youth aspire to, pay for, and graduate from college. The Higher Education Act (HEA) authorizes college preparatory and student support programs that target this population, among other vulnerable populations. Nearly all of these programs are collectively known as the TRIO programs, administered by the Department of Education (ED). Under the HEA, TRIO- funded grantees are expected to identify and make services, such as mentoring and tutoring, available to youth who were in foster care at age 16 or older (whenever this is appropriate). The HEA also authorizes services for current and former foster youth through Student Support Services a TRIO program intended to improve the retention and graduation rates of disadvantaged college students which includes temporary housing during breaks in the academic year. TRIO funds are competitively awarded by ED to institutions of higher education and other entities. The funds do not always serve eligible current and former foster youth at every institution. In FY2016, Congress appropriated $900 million to TRIO programs. Separately, the HEA authorizes additional supports through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to establish demonstration projects that provide comprehensive support services for students who were in foster care (or homeless) at age 13 or older. FIPSE is a grant program that seeks to support the implementation of innovative educational reform ideas and evaluate how well they work. As specified in the law, the projects can provide housing to former foster youth when housing at an educational institution is closed or unavailable to other students. In FY2015, Congress appropriated $7.7 million to FIPSE; no funding was appropriated for FY2016. p\w gnom ggmm mppm qq\ a , q 'S I 11LIANJILiN,

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most