NACAC | Adoption Subsidy

A significant post adoptive service offered by states is the waiver or payment of college tuition on behalf of adopted children who were once in foster care.

Florida	Children who are in foster care, receiving independent living services, or who are adopted from the Department of Children and Families after December 31, 1997 are exempt from all undergraduate fees, including registration, matriculation, and laboratory fees associated with enrollment in college preparatory instruction and completion of the college level communication and computation skills testing program in the State Community College System, the State University System, and other adult general education programs.
Kentucky	Tuition and mandatory fees for any public postsecondary institution, including all four year universities and colleges and institutions of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, shall be waived for a Kentucky foster or adopted child who is a full-time student. [KRS 164:2847]
Maine	Funding is available for children up to age 21 using Title IV-B dollars. The program is limited to children whose families received adoption assistance.
Maryland	Maryland offers the Maryland Waiver, which allows children who meet certain criteria to attend college in Maryland. To be eligible for the waiver you must meet the following criteria: Be a Maryland resident Be in a foster care placement at the time you are graduating high school, or successfully completed your GED or adopted after your 14th birthday. Attend a college in Maryland, the waiver does not pay for a training program, nor does it cover the cost of books and or transportation. Applicant must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Waiver is good for 5 years after first year enrolling.
Massachusetts	Legislation passed July 1, 2000
New Jersey	New Jersey offers a College Tuition Waiver or College Scholarship program for foster and adopted youth. Adopted children over the age of 12 are eligible. The program is managed by Foster and Adoptive Family Services (FAFS), 800-222-0047 (ask for the scholarship department), email at scholarship@FAFSonline.org, or on the web at www.fafsonline.org/Scholarship.html
Oregon	Children who were a ward of the court and in the legal custody of the state between age 16 and 21 are able to apply for the Former Foster Children Scholarship. More information is available from 800-452-8807 x 7395
Texas	As of September 1, 2003, a student is exempt from the payment of college tuition and fees at state supported colleges and universities if the student was adopted AND was the subject of an adoption assistance agreement between the adoptive parents and DFPS (under Subchapter D, Chapter 162, of the Texas Family Code) Please note that any child adopted and who was the subject of an adoption assistance agreement between the adoptive parents and DFPS before September 1, 2003 is eligible, as well as any person in the future meeting this requirement.
Virginia	Children must have been in foster care. For special needs children. Legislation passed in the 2000 session. Go to: http://www.dss.state.va.us/family/tuitiongrant.html

Delaware	Offers a scholarship program for former foster children. Adopted children can apply but family income is considered. The DE Legislature budgeted $50,000 in 2001.
District of Columbia	Offers a scholarship program for children adopted from the District's foster care system after Oct. 1, 2000. Covers vocational training, as well as college funding.
Hawaii	Continues to pay board rate for former foster children (not adopted) up to the 22nd birthday if in vocational school/college. See www.hcf-hawaii.org or 888-731-3863.
Illinois	DFS has statutory authority to award up to 48 scholarships per year to children who are in substitute care, who have been adopted and prior to their adoption were under the Department's legal responsibility, or who are in subsidized guardianship living arrangements.
Minnesota	The Minnesota State College and University System offers free tuition to children committed to state guardianship (i.e., foster children) but are not adopted.
West Virginia	West Virginia has a tuition waiver program available. It is limited to children residing in a foster care setting when they graduate from high school, starting with the graduating class of 2000. It is available in state-supported colleges only. The application can be obtained from the college of choice. (Effective October 2002) Children adopted from the DHHR foster care system during the month they turn 16 are eligible to receive the Chafee Education Voucher to assist with post-secondary education costs.

Each year, more than 25,000 youth attempt to make the transition from foster care to self-sufficiency as they reach age 18. Only half finish high school, and about 11 percent go on to college or vocational education much lower rates than the national averages. Through a new post-secondary education scholarship program, The Casey Family Programs will provide up to $10,000 per year to youth under the age of 25 who have spent at least 12 months in foster care and were not subsequently adopted.

The awards will be renewable each year, based on satisfactory progress and financial need. The Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) will administer the program, and the recipients will also receive ongoing support through OFA¹s E-Mentor Program. OFA scholarship coordinators will match each student with a trained, screened adult who will interact with the student via e-mail, letters, and phone calls on a weekly basis to address specific issues faced by young people without parental support, including money management and life skills.