At Foster Care Alumni of America, we believe in all people from foster care.  That is why we launched a scholarship program for foster care alumni 25 and over, to help fill a gap in educational opportunities for older alumni.

Important Dates:
Scholarship Release Date: May 29, 2017
Scholarship Application Due Date: July 28, 2017
Notification of Award: August  25, 2017.
Distribution of Funds: September 2017

Overview
There are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the U.S. However, very few–only 3 to 10 percent–graduate from college. The majority of scholarships for foster care alumni limit selection to students younger than 25 and do not fund graduate programs. Thus, once alumni turn 25, they find very few resources to help pay for the rising costs to continue their education. Based on empirical evidence, across the United States  we know:

• Individuals rely on financial support from their parents well beyond age 25 (Arnett & Schwab, 2013).
• The debt burden for college continues to increase (U.S. Department of Education, 2013).
• Less than half of full-time students complete their baccalaureate degree within four years (www.collegecomplete.org).
• Foster care alumni reported leaving college due to financial reasons (Cortney, Dworsky, Brown, Cary & Vorhies, 2011).
• At age 26, foster care alumni begin to achieve stability in their lives and re-attach to post secondary education (Cortney,  Dworksy, Brown, Cary & Vorhies, 2011)

To help reduce some of the financial strain alumni experience, we intend to award scholarships worth $2,000 to two qualified foster care alumni this year.
 

Links

• Foster Care Alumni of America Scholarship