Foster Coalition Resources

College, Career & Life Skills Training and Support for Foster Youth

California 

• CSU Foster Youth Programs support services are available for current or former foster at more than 22 universities. 

• Doing Good Works (Irvine, CA) offers internships and jobs for foster youth. 

• First Place for Youth (Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano) support young people in finding a safe place to live, get their first job, and keep going in school.

• Hack the Hood (Bay Area & N. California) youth get training in web design and development, professionalism, and career exploration while developing their portfolio by building websites for actual small businesses in their communities.

• Just in Time for Foster Youth (San Diego) emergency, financial and educational support for former foster youth.

• New Door Ventures (San Francisco): Internships, Job Readiness & Educational Support. 

• Pivotal: (Bay Area) Academic and employment support to current and former foster youth in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties starting in the 9th grade. 

• Possibility Project (Los Angeles) youth leadership training through theatrical and community action projects. 

• Ready to Succeed (Santa Monica) empowers youth impacted by foster care to graduate college, launch successful careers, and reach their full potential.

• Renaissance Scholars (Cal Poly Pomona) provides a support system that helps and encourages foster youth throughout their journey at Cal Poly Pomona. 

• Renaissance Scholars (Fresno State) provides a support system that helps and encourages foster youth throughout their journey at Fresno State. 

• Renaissance Scholars (USC) provides a support system that helps and encourages foster youth throughout their journey at USC. 

• South Bay Community Services (San Diego) provides various support networks to help these young adults overcome challenges including support with housing, counseling, life skills, and job readiness training. 

• Success in Degrees (Los Angeles) empowers LA County youth in foster care to succeed in high school, college, graduate school, and beyond through long-term mentorship and educational support!

• Pivitol (San Jose, CA): Provides youth with work readiness training, skills development and job placement services. Our program is open to all youth ages 14 – 20. For current and former foster youth, we extend our age range to 24.

• The Teen Project (LA/Orange Co) provides young women (18-24 years old) homeless after foster care and at risk homeless youth with room and board, college support, paid job internships, savings program, automobile obtainment program and independent living education.

• The Wish List Project (Sacramento) provides access to educational resources, extracurricular activities and youth development opportunities for under-served youth 

• Youth Moving On (Pasadena) provides former foster youth affordable quality housing and numerous support services to help them transition successfully to adulthood. 

• The Hub (San Jose, CA) drop-in community center focused on helping current and former foster youth, ages 15-24. At The Hub, you can receive health counseling, attend educational workshops, and there's free access to food, laundry, computers and shower services.

• Umlaut Foundation (Pleasanton, CA): Umlaut Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to supporting middle-school and high-school foster and kinship youth through volunteer-supported tutoring. Specifically, Umlaut provides one-on-one mentoring in topics that can range from visual arts to SAT prep to basic homework help. 

College Scholarships and Grants

for Current and Former Foster Youth

College Scholarships & Resources for Foster Youth

• General list of private & state organizations that provide scholarships for foster kids: click here

• Foster Youth Tuition Waviers listed by state

• First Star and Guardian Scholars (California) programs

• United Friends of the Children list of foster youth scholarships

• College Readiness (Los Angeles) offers up to six years of individualized support by trained college counselors to students in grades 7-12 with a goal of helping foster youth graduate from high school and attend college.

• College Sponsorship (Los Angeles) inancial assistance for foster youth to attend four year colleges/universities

• Foster Care to Success Scholarships & Grants for education and job training

• Get Schooled-- Website that lists different scholarship opportunities

• Tuition.io List of Programs by State College Scholarship Programs for Foster Youth

• Emy's Promise (Florida): Educational grants for women who have been in foster care in Florida. 

• Ump's Care All-Star Scholarship for children adopted at the age of 10 years or older 

• National Foster Parent Association Youth Scholarship 

• FinAid scholarship search database

• Horatio Alger Association need-based college scholarships 

• List of State Tuition Waiver Programs and Education Training Vouchers for Youth in Foster Care 

• Grass Law Firm Scholarship (scroll to bottom of page): Any student with a financial need can apply for this $500 scholarship. This year's deadline is April 31, 2017

• Sean Carter Foundation Scholarship Fund - Scholarships for those who have a compelling desire to pursue higher education, in spite of many personal, socio-economic setbacks, including teen pregnancy, former incarceration, interrupted schooling, poverty, and homelessness

• Washington State Governors' Scholarship for Foster Youth - $2,000 to $4,000 depending on the college of attendance. Available for up to five years. 

• Passport to College Promise Scholarship program - In Washington state, provides support to students from high school through higher education completion.

• West Virginia College for Foster Youth - in 2018, West Virginia will open the first free college officially for former foster youth. Initially it will be just for residents of West Virginia.

• Family Fellows Foundation (Together We Rise): Application is now open for students who are residents or attending schools in Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, & Washington DC. Provides financial, educational, and wrap around support.

• Pivotal (for youth in Santa Clara/San Mateo Counties in CA): For foster youth in these counties who is enrolled in or plans to enroll in vocational college, community college or a 4-year degree program. 

• California Financial Aid Guide for Foster Youth -- the student-friendly JBAY Financial Aid Guide for California Foster Youth takes the mystery out of applying for and keeping financial aid.

• California College Pathways --  is a statewide partnership that provides resources and leadership to campuses and community organizations to help foster youth succeed at community colleges and four-year universities.

• Opportunity Youth Academy (San Jose, CA) -- offers students a blended learning program of teacher-directed instruction and online credit accrual and recovery options. The focus is ensuring that students leave the program with a high school diploma, and a path to post-graduation college or career. The classes students complete satisfy admission requirements for California public universities and military service.

• We Belong in College scholarship -- Share your stories of struggle and triumph on social media using the hashtag #WeBelongInCollege. We will be giving out five $1,000 scholarships every month from March-June, September, and October to the most inspiring stories shared. After sharing your story on social media, submit your video to us in the form below for your chance to win.