The New York Times, Huffington Post, and USA Today all interviewed college students who were former foster children. Here are their stories.
Manny Roque
Manny Roque is a student at Los Angeles City College. He was raised by a mother who dealt with addiction to crack and was involved in sex work. He did not attend school until he was in sixth grade and attended five high schools because he lived in seven foster homes.
Alexis Barries
From the age of 2,
Alexis Barries bounced from foster home to foster home. Despite starting college early at 16, Barries is a freshman at San Joaquin Delta College. Circumstances such as financial aid mishaps and housing issues have led to her going through five community colleges in eight years. She says, “I wasn’t prepared for college. I didn’t have parents or anyone to look up to or help me with my college experience.”
Felicity Reyes
Felicity Reyes graduated from USC magna cum laude. She spent three years of her grade-school life in foster care. Through A Better Chance program and the Trojan Guardian Scholars program, Reyes became the second person in her family to graduate.
Stats
Approximately
20% of foster youth who graduate from high school attend college. They are much more likely to drop about before earning a degree. Only 6% of former foster youth earn a degree before 24.
Resources
It’s because of these staggering statistics that many colleges have created programs for foster youths entering college. These include scholarships, year-round housing, counseling, tutoring, health care, campus jobs, and more.
As many foster children age out of the system without an adult to guide them, these programs are vital for their education. Foster kids who move homes and high schools lack educational stability, leading them to be unprepared for college challenges such as applying for financial aid and finding housing.
How You Can Help
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation’s goal is to raise $1.5 million in awards for foster kids, including
scholarships. Last year, we raised $1 million. Help a foster youth enter college and
donate today. Everyone deserves a chance at education.
