At Children’s Aid, we are committed to improving the outcomes of youth in foster care and those aging out of the system. One of the ways we do this is through the Fostering Youth Success Alliance (FYSA).

FYSA is a statewide advocacy group that promotes programs and policies aimed at providing support to youth with a foster care background, helping them to overcome barriers and excel in life.

In 2015, FYSA successfully advocated for New York State to provide college financial assistance to young people who have experienced foster care at any point after age 13. The Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) was established to offer aid for tuition, room and board, school supplies, transportation, academic support, and more. Since its inception, the program has served more than 2,000 students and has gained $42.4 million in investments from New York State.

Youth in foster care face steep hurdles as they transition out of care. Studies show that one in five youth with a foster care background will become homeless after age 18, and less than three percent will graduate from college. A study by the National Foster Youth Initiative found that only one out of every two foster kids who age out of the system will be employed by the age of 24.

A new study released in January 2024 by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, titled “Fostering Success at SUNY,” examines the impact that FYSCI support had on young people attending State University of New York (SUNY) colleges and universities. According to the report, FYCSI recipients demonstrate higher retention and graduation rates compared to their peers. They tend to reenroll after their first year at higher rates and post higher graduation rates for associate degrees and, after six years, bachelor’s degrees.

FYCSI works to level the playing field and ensure that young people aging out of care have access to higher education. According to the data, the initiative may also help narrow the graduation rate gap among racial groups. In the fall of 2021, 397 SUNY students were awarded a foster care scholarship at some point in their educational career. The average amount of FYCSI aid per student was $4,254, with aid ranging from $125 to $9,000.

Two-thirds (66.8%) of the 2021 FYSCI cohort identified as Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. When surveying the overall SUNY population, slightly more than one-fourth (27.7%) identified as such. 

Deidra Nesbeth, director of FYSA, was recently featured in a podcast called Policy Outsider to discuss the report and FYSCIs impact on the young people she works with. In addition to tuition, students have to think about funding for housing, food, and emergency expenses, she explained. While many students can fall back on their parents for support, youth in foster care don’t always have a trusting adult to lean on.

“When I was in college, if I had an emergency or I had those additional expenses, I was really able to lean on my parents for support. For our young people with a foster care background, that’s not an option all of the time,” she said. “Making sure that there is somewhere to fill in that full cost of attendance, making sure that young people know, ‘I do have the resources to have not just a college experience, but a normative college experience’ is super important.” 

Tanajah Malachi, a social worker, was able to complete her bachelor’s degree at SUNY Brockport thanks to a FYSCI scholarship. She was then able to pursue a master’s degree because her undergrad degree was paid off.

“Because I got that funding, I was always able to make sure that I didn’t pay anything out of pocket at the end of the semester,” Tanajah said. “I never had to worry about being hungry. I never had to worry about where the money is going to come from. I finished college with no loans. I know a lot of people can’t say that, and it was because of the support I got from being a part of FYSCI.”

Tanajah has high hopes for the initiative’s future. She envisions these awards becoming available for people pursuing master’s degrees and that high school and college counselors become more aware that these scholarships exist, enabling them to better advocate for their students with a foster care background.  

Listen to the full episode of Policy Outsider: