Children who are adopted or in foster care face unique challenges when it comes to higher education. According to National Foster Youth Institute data, only 3% to 4% of young adults formerly in foster care graduate with a four-year college degree. Just 2% to 6% graduate with a two-year degree.
What can be done to support more foster students’ college dreams? Several resources are available to support higher education for foster students and understanding how to find them can help students succeed.
FAFSA Information for Adopted & Foster Care Children
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the federal government form that students must complete to apply for federal student loans and grants. Many state-based grants also require the FAFSA, and some colleges use the FAFSA to dole out their own internal scholarships for foster youth.
The FAFSA form asks if you’ve ever been in foster care, a ward of the court, or an orphan since the age of 13. If you answer yes to this question, then you’ll automatically count as an independent student, which makes you eligible for a Pell Grant. The maximum Pell Grant for 2025-2026 is $7,395. Unlike a student loan, a Pell Grant does not need to be repaid. The Pell Grant can be used for eight semesters at a four-year postsecondary institution.
Applying to FAFSA early is crucial because some awards, like work-study and certain need-based grants, are only available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wait too long to apply, those forms of financial aid may already be gone.
FAFSA Information for Wards of the Court
A ward of the court is a child whose parents or guardians do not have legal custody over them. If you were a ward of the court at any point from the age of 13, you would be treated as an independent student on the FAFSA. To prove this status, you may need to have court records that show you were declared a ward of the state. Contact your state’s child welfare agency to get a copy of these documents if you don’t have them already.
Scholarship Options
Several scholarships are available for foster youth, including:
- Foster Care to Success Scholarship: Available to students who have been in foster care for the 12 months leading up to their 18th birthday or who were orphaned for at least one year by the time they turn 18. You can earn up to $5,000.
- Life Happens Lessons Scholarship: This $15,000 scholarship is available for students who’ve lost a parent or legal guardian and are facing financial hardship. New high school graduates heading to college and current college students are eligible.
- Rob Foundation Scholarship: This $2,500 scholarship is available to students who’ve lost a parent or legal guardian. You can use this scholarship to pay for college or trade school.
Grant Options
Most federal and state grants are given to students with financial need. If you’re considered an independent student, you may qualify for more need-based grants. Here are a couple of grants you may be eligible for:
- Pell Grant: Available for undergraduate students only. The maximum amount is $7,395 for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG): The annual loan amount is between $100 and $4,000 a year. This grant is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Many states also offer their own grants if you attend an in-state public university or community college. Reach out to your high school college counselor to ask about applying for these.
Resources to Find More Scholarships and Grants
You can also apply for scholarships and grants specifically for current or former foster kids, as well as more general scholarships and grants. Here are some sites you can use to search for aid:
- Bold.org
- CollegeScholarships.org
- BigFuture
- Going Merry
- Niche
- Peterson’s
- ScholarshipOwl
- Scholarships.com
- Sholly
Tuition Waiver Programs for Students in Foster Care
The following states offer tuition waiver programs, which means current and former foster children can attend a state college for free or at a significantly reduced price:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- West Virginia
Other states offer special scholarships or grants for foster care youth. These include:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington
Make Up the Difference with Student Loans
As a child in foster care or an adopted child, you may be eligible for more need-based financial aid, but it might not be enough to cover the full cost of tuition. If you have to take out student loans, consider maxing out your available federal student loans, then using private student loans to cover the remaining costs. In some cases, you may be eligible for a lower interest rate with a private student loan, especially if you have a cosigner.
