Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program
The Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program (FosterEd), created by Act 16 of 2019, seeks to remove barriers to accessing a postsecondary education for youth who are or have been in foster care. This allows eligible foster youth to complete their studies, graduate with less debt, and have the opportunity to build a network of support. The program is being administered collaboratively by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) in conjunction with the PA departments of Education, Human Services, and Labor & Industry.
FosterEd requires Pennsylvania postsecondary institutions to award a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees for Pennsylvania resident youth who meet Chafee ETG eligibility requirements and have applied for all available federal and state grants. Tuition and mandatory fee waivers apply to both public (state) colleges and universities, community colleges, private post-secondary institutions, and other eligible schools. Youth are eligible to receive waivers for 5 years as defined by 10 semesters, which need not be consecutive, or until age 26. All ETG applicants will automatically be evaluated for FosterEd. In addition to the waivers, each post-secondary institution must appoint a Point of Contact (POC) to assist youth with eligibility, technical assistance, and other resources that may be available to them on and off-campus. County and private provider IL Caseworkers/Coordinators may be contacted by the POC to verify a youth’s eligibility. This is a critical step in assisting youth with verifying their eligibility when entering post-secondary education and financial aid packages being awarded. Each post-secondary education institution is required to have their identified POC listed on their website. A list of POCs can be found on the Center for Schools and Communities at Foster Care Contact Directory (center-school.org.)
https://directory.center-school.org/fostercare/highereducation/search.
Additional information about the tuition waiver can be found at PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program (pheaa.org).
https://www.pheaa.org/funding-opportunities/other-educational-aid/foster-education.shtml
For more information and how to apply visit: