Higher Education Opportunities for Foster Youth

According to this report, foster youth are among America’s most disadvantaged in terms of opportunities for higher education, and targeted strategies are required to increase their college-going. It recognizes that the root of the unique barriers foster youth face is their common traumatic experience: the neglect or abuse that brought them to the attention of public authorities and subsequent removal from their family. The publication recommends several key areas where changes in policy could alleviate obstacles, such as low educational expectations; frequent disruptions and changes in school placements; underdeveloped, independent living skills; and lack of access to mental health care and treatment.