Creating pathways & removing barriers to higher education for students with experience in foster care

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Who is Fostering Academic Achievement Nationwide Network?

We bring together the leaders of statewide and regional foster care and higher education backbone organizations in an effort to share the best practices in policy and programming to support students with experience in foster care as they reach their higher education goals.

Without support only 4% of young adults with experience in foster care obtain their bachelor’s degree by age 26

Students who have experienced foster care enroll in postsecondary education at lower rates than their same aged peers. These students are less likely to persist through their first year because they run into other obstacles, like managing living expenses for the first time, finding reliable housing, accessing technology and having reliable, high speed internet. All of these factors create a real set of challenges that can impede their academic success.

But with proper support and guidance, students with experience in foster care can succeed in college and move on to satisfying careers.

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Every student with experience in foster care should have the support to reach their higher education goals.

We are a network of leaders – from foster care experts to higher education organizations to policy advocates and change makers. By sharing state-to-state best practices and collaborating with one another, we accelerate the national discussion on foster care and postsecondary educational attainment policy and practice.

2016

Year
Founded

22

Member
Organizations

18

Participating States
and Jurisdictions