Colorado State students who grew up in the foster care system in Colorado now have the opportunity for their college education to be paid in full.
Colorado legislators passed a bill in 2022 which resulted in the creation of FosterEd. The program requires all public higher education institutions in Colorado to provide financial assistance to Colorado residents who were in the foster system at or after age 13.
The full cost of attendance is covered by the student’s chosen college or university and the state of Colorado. Costs covered by the program include full tuition, fees, on- or off-campus living expenses, books and other expenses.
“The impact for the students who qualify for this will be huge in the sense that they will definitely be in a place where they can get their full cost of attendance paid without taking out loans, and that can definitely be a burden beyond being a student at CSU,” said Andrea Fortney, the program director of the Fostering Success Program at CSU. “It gives these young folks an opportunity to get their cost of attendance covered and maybe be in a place to be able to do a little bit beyond working a lot of hours and going to classes. Our hope is that this will alter the way that some students navigate higher education.”
Affordability and retention
Azariah Reed, a first-year student studying civil engineering, said the financial relief the program provides is helpful for students who were previously in the foster care system because it can make it easier for them to attend and finish college.
Reed, who serves on the Council for Student Leaders, recalled a speaker from the Office of Financial Aid who shared a chart of student success, which showed that many first-generation students and students who were in the foster care system dropped off due to affordability.
“Being somebody who is in the system or was in the system, more times than not, it’s going to be harder for you to afford a higher education,” Reed said. “To have that cushion, in a sense, is really nice. I’m happy that we are able to move in this direction and start somewhere.”
LilyKaye Roach, an incoming first-year student planning to major in psychology, said part of her decision to attend CSU came from the acceptance she felt when talking to people about how to apply the new FosterEd program to her college experience.
“It just kind of gave me hope, and it felt like someone was on my side because I learned about it when I was applying for colleges, and I kind of was like, ‘I’ll just see where I get into and maybe think about it, but I probably won’t do anything,’” Roach said. “I was kind of scared for my future until I figured out the bill was passed, so it made me feel hopeful for my future.”
“Being somebody who is in the system or was in the system, more times than not, it’s going to be harder for you to afford a higher education. To have that cushion, in a sense, is really nice. I’m happy that we are able to move in this direction and start somewhere.”
— Azariah Reed, first-year student studying civil engineering
Adrina Pawlak, the assistant director for communications and training in the Office of Financial Aid, said former foster youth face challenges outside of college that other students may not experience. According to the National Foster Youth Institute, only 3% to 4% of foster youth obtain a four-year college degree due to financial barriers and a lack of mentorship support.
Pawlak said that, through the FosterEd program, financial barriers to academic achievement are reduced for former foster youth.
“My hope is that with the increased financial support through FosterEd, former foster youth will be able to see higher education in Colorado as accessible and affordable,” Pawlak said. “Institutions like CSU are uniquely positioned to help foster youth navigate the process and be successful in completing their college degree.”
According to Fortney, nine students either currently attending CSU or starting in the fall are registered to receive assistance from the FosterEd program, but the hope is to raise awareness for more students to benefit.
“The criteria is a little bit narrow, so we’re hoping in the future this will get expanded out to a broader population of independent students, and we’re also just trying to get the word out about it, too,” Fortney said. “I know that there might be students at Colorado State University that haven’t pursued FosterEd yet or may be qualified, and we want to make sure they know about this amazing opportunity. It’s a victory because we do have some students who are getting the benefits from it now, and it’s early in the process, so we want to make sure that we’re including everyone who could potentially qualify.”
Students who are interested in learning more about the program or who believe they might qualify are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid for next steps. Additionally, the Fostering Success Program and the Office of Financial Aid will host two informational sessions about the FosterEd program for faculty and staff to learn more.
FosterEd Information Sessions
Faculty and staff interested in learning more about the FosterEd program are encouraged to attend one of two informational sessions hosted by Andrea Fortney from the Fostering Success Program, Adrina Pawlak in the Office of Financial Aid and Violeta Apodaca from the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
Any faculty or staff who is unable to attend is still encouraged to register and will receive a recording of the virtual session.
FosterEd Info Session – In Person:
When: Monday, May 22 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Where: Big South Conference Room, classroom entrance on east side of Canvas Stadium
Register: Please register to attend here.
FosterEd Info Session – Virtual:
When: Thursday, July 13 from 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Where: https://zoom.us/j/97602443637
Register: Please register to attend here.
