Help kids in foster care make a path to college

This month, students across Western Pennsylvania are celebrating high school graduation and many are preparing for college. But for students in foster care, the dream of a college education is rarely attainable.

Only 50 percent of children in foster care graduate high school, and only 20 percent go on to college. As advocates for school-age students, we know that youth in foster care face significant barriers when it comes to graduating from high school, including frequent moves, lack of supports, and involvement in a system that can be confusing and difficult to navigate.

But for youth in foster care who do overcome these barriers, college and particularly the costs associated with it too often prove to be a hurdle just too insurmountable to overcome. A new proposal in Harrisburg — HB 1745 — is trying to remove this barrier once and for all. The bill will ensure that financial constraint no longer precludes students in foster care from higher education by offering tuition waivers to eligible students who attend community colleges and state universities.

In passing this bill, Pennsylvania will join 28 other states already providing tuition assistance for youth in foster care. It is time we provide these young people the supports they need so that the dream of a college education, and the opportunity and self-sufficiency that come with this dream, can become a reality. CHERYL KLEIMAN

Staff Attorney Education Law Center

Downtown