How to Help Students in Foster Care prepare for College

When young adults exit the foster care system, they often have limited resources and support. College may not feel like an option for most of them, despite the career dreams they have. However, we believe that all children in foster care should have the opportunity to pursue their educational and career goals. When you make a charitable donation to Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, you can receive an Arizona tax credit, but more importantly, you are helping these students get one step closer to finding the success they deserve.

The Challenges College-bound Foster Youth Face

Students of foster care face disproportionate challenges from their peers. They are far less likely to attend college than those who were not in foster care, and for those that do attend, graduation rates are a dismal 3 percent.

As young people age out of foster care, they often enter the adult world without financial sponsors, and with limited resources. They often face various financial struggles, such as food insecurity. They also tend to face mental, physical, and emotional challenges at a higher rate than non-foster college-bound students, which affects their educational success.

What is the Arizona Foster Care Tax Credit?

The Arizona Foster Care Tax credit applies when you donate to any qualifying foster care charitable organization. This Arizona tax credit offers a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your state income tax obligation. The credit is up to $500 for individuals or up to $1,000 for couples who file jointly.

How to Use Your Charitable Donation

The AFFCF Post-Secondary Scholarship

The AFFCF Post-Secondary Scholarship can give young adults exiting foster care the financial start they need to pursue educational and professional goals. The scholarship helps provide funding for community and four-year college students, specifically those that were in the Arizona foster care system at the age of 18 years old.

The Bobby Ed Penson Fund

Unexpected expenses, for most people, are unfortunate, but an accepted fact of life. For young adults who have recently aged out of foster care, and who often do not have a family to rely on during difficult times, unexpected expenses can derail their hopes and dreams.

To support students encountering emergency expenses and prevent an interruption to their education, AFFCF created the Bobby Edd Penson Fund. Students in a vocational school or college are eligible to apply for a financial award that helps pay for those unexpected expenses such as auto repairs and utilities as well as textbooks, vocational fees, and more so they can remain on their educational path.

Keys to Success

Keys to Success was designed to facilitate career development services for teens and young adults who are close to aging out of foster care. The program provides and teaches career planning, goal-setting, skill-building, and other life skills. It helps students establish connections within the community, find employment, and develop important skills for independent living. The program teaches youth in care that they can create brighter futures for themselves and gives them the resources to do so.

How Do I Claim My Credit on my AZ Tax Return?

Claiming your Arizona tax credit is fairly straightforward:

1. Mail a check or donate online before April 18th, 2022 for 2021 tax returns.
2. File Arizona tax forms 352 and 301 when you file your state tax return.
3. AASK’s Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization code is 10023. This code goes on form 352 when you file your AZ tax return.

Help Students in Foster Care Today

Your donation to AFFCF is much more than an Arizona tax credit. It helps give teens and young adults the tools they need to be productive members of their community and to break vicious cycles of poverty, crime, and addiction. It gives them hope for their future and makes them better citizens. Contact us, and find out more about how your contribution can change the life of a student today.

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