Making College a Reality

for Foster Youth

Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children

Foundation

Why Should You Make College a Priority NOW? 70% of foster youth say they want to go to college Yet only half graduate from high school (as

opposed to 70% of the general population) And only 10% actually go on to college (while

60% of the general population does) 100,000 more foster youth a year would be in

college if they were going to college at the same rate as the general population

Interesting statistic…

Only 150 of the 3500 colleges in the US are so selective that they turn down half of their applicants. In fact, 44% of colleges accept EVERY SINGLE APPLICANT!

– Time magazine, October 9, 2006 issue

The Biggest Barriers

Lack of cultural expectation to succeed academically and attend college

Frequent disruptions in educational experiences (65% of foster youth experienced seven or more school changes - and each move results in a loss of 6 months of educational progress)

Perceived notion of cost of college as unaffordable Lack of personal support

How Can You Help?

College Prep Admissions Process Financial Aid

College Prep

Preparing for College

Tell them they can do it – set the expectation! Discuss the benefits of college Reduce educational placement disruptions Become or identify an educational advocate

(guidance counselor, mentor, CASA, coach, teacher, older sibling, foster parent, etc.)

Be knowledgeable about services, processes, and resources related to college

Connect your youth with foster youth in college

Admissions Process

Timeline

Fall Junior Year - SAT/ACT prep Spring Junior Year – take the test, begin web

searches for colleges Summer Junior Year – write personal essays and

resumes, visit colleges Fall Senior Year – get common application, write

essays, visit colleges, re-take tests if needed January Senior Year – download FAFSA and fill

out – it’s due in March!

What are Colleges Looking For?

A high school curriculum that challenges the student

Grades that show a strong effort and an upward trend

Solid test scores Community service Work experience (but not

too much!)

A well-written essay PERSONALIZED letters

of recommendation from teachers and counselors

Strong supplementary recommendations

Anything special that makes the student stand out!

Financial Aid

**Disclaimer! Georgia Student Finance Commission is the ultimate authority on financial aid. We STRONGLY

recommend that you contact them for complete information at www.gacollege411.org or 1-800-505-GSFC

Types of Financial Aid

Grants/Scholarships – “gift aid” that does not require repayment

Loans – borrowed and must be repaid with interest Work Study – a job on campus

Most financial aid is awarded on the basis of need, but total financial aid awarded to a student cannot exceed the college’s cost of attendance.

State Grants/Scholarships

HOPE Foster Child Education Grant Accel – allows students to earn college

credit while meeting high school graduation requirements

Update on HOPE Changes All changes effective May, 2007 HOPE Eligibility will be determined by Georgia

Student Finance Commission No numerical scale used for Standard of Eligibility Academic credits counted in calculation will include

all credits attempted Only Advanced Placement and International

Baccalaureate courses will be weighted in GPA calculation

Weighting will be done by GSFC and will be uniform across the state

Federal Grant Programs

Pell Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity

Grant (FSEOG) Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership

(LEAP) The National Science and Mathematics Access to

Retain Talent Grant (SMART) - new Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) - new

Features of GAcollege411.org

Personalized student planner/timeline – create a profile! Information on Georgia colleges (comparative view, distance

calculator, etc.) College prep test reviews and testing dates (also visit

www.collegeboard.com or www.satonlinecoursechool.com for free reviews – you will need an access code from your school principal)

Common application Steps for applying for financial aid Loan repayment calculator Information for non-traditional students/adult learners

Scholarship Resources

Orphan Foundation of America – www.orphan.org

Adoptive/Foster Parent Association of Georgia – www.afpag.org

Excellence in Education Scholarship – www.gahsc.org/projecttransition.html

See handout for additional resources

Excellence in Education Scholarship Program Overview In 2006, the Excellence in Education Scholarship

program awarded $108,000 to foster youth continuing on to college/graduate school

We received 59 applications. 47 were complete and eligible for consideration

29 students were selected for scholarships, including 4 graduate students

Types of Scholarships Awarded

• College - $1,000 a year for a maximum of 4 years of post high school education (lifetime maximum total of scholarship funds available per undergraduate applicant = $4,000)

• Graduate School - $1,500 a year for a maximum of 2 years of graduate school or masters programs (lifetime maximum total of scholarship funds available per graduate school applicant = $3,000)

Eligibility Requirements

In DFCS custody OR placed at a licensed private residential program at the time of your 16th birthday

Have already graduated OR anticipate graduation end of the 2006/2007 school year

Continuing on to post-secondary educational program that is accredited and/or approved by DFCS

Demonstrated financial need Willingness to participate in LINC

mentoring program

Commonly Asked Eligibility Questions

• Students who emancipated or adopted at age 16 or older are eligible

• You may reapply as a graduate student if you received a scholarship as an undergraduate

• You are eligible to reapply if you have received undergraduate funding at a lower level than $4,000, provided you are working on a different degree (for example, you got $2,000 for your Associates and have decided to pursue a Bachelors)

• Students who have applied in the past but did not receive funding are encouraged to reapply

Section I - General Information

Fill out completely. Contact information is critical - we must know where to find you if we have questions.

SAT/ACT/LSAT/GMAT, etc. scores are not mandatory if the school you are applying to does not require them. Please indicate if school does not require test scores.

2007 Excellence in Education Scholarship Application

 

SECTION I - GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Student’s Name:_______________________________________________

 

Address:__________________________________________________

 

City:_______________________State:____________Zip:__________

 

Phone Number:_______________Email Address:___________________

 

Birthdate:_____________ High School:__________________________

 

College/University (if already enrolled): __________________________

 

High School Graduation Date:________Grade Point Average_______

SAT/ACT Score:______

College Graduation Date (if applicable): __________________________

LSAT/GMAT/GRE, etc. Score: __________

 

Have you applied for Excellence in Education scholarship before?

____yes ____no

 If yes, when? _____________________________

Section II - Financial Need

We do take into account the cost of public vs. private education, as well as other sources of aid identified.

The selection committee looks favorably upon students who have made an effort to identify additional funding sources beyond state/federal grants.

SECTION II - FINANCIAL NEED

 To what schools have you applied? Please indicate if you have been accepted.

Name:______________________________City/State:________________Name:______________________________City/State:________________

Name:______________________________City/State:________________

What will be your major area of study?______________________________

 

How will you pay for the remainder of your educational expenses, not covered by this scholarship?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Have you received the Excellence in Education scholarship before? If so, what year and for what amount?_______________________________________

 

List any other scholarships you have applied for:

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

 

List any scholarships you have already been awarded and the amount of the award:

Name of Scholarship Amount ___________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

Section III - Employment/Volunteer/Extracurricular

We recognize that many students have part-time jobs and that does affect ability to participate in extracurricular activities.

It carries more weight with us if students have made a demonstrated leadership commitment to a few activities, rather than joined every club at school.

We also understand that foster care often results in frequent moves/school changes, which affect the ability to work, join clubs, volunteer, etc. If this is the case, let us know in your essay.

SECTION III – EMPLOYMENT/COMMUNITY SERVICE/EXTRACURRICULAR

 

Employment History:

Dates Supervisor Company Name Phone Number # hours/week

 __________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

Extracurricular Activities

___________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

 Community Service

___________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

  

Awards/Recognition Received (School, Church, Community, Other)

 __________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________

Section IV - References

Case manager contact information is critical. If we need more information on you, we need know where to find them.

Do NOT use friends as character references. Your references should be teachers, coaches, ministers, foster parents, or other adults in your life.

SECTION IV – REFERENCES Name of DFCS/private provider case manager:__________ Case manager phone number:__________________Email:________________ 

Character References (include the name and phone numbers of the individuals who wrote your letters of reference for this application).

Name Position Phone Number _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Section V - Essay

The essay is the most important part of your application - it is your

chance to stand out and it carries the most weight in scoring. The essay is not about being a great writer -

it’s about telling us who you are and what your plans are!

Tips for Successful Essay Writing Tell us about who you are and who you want to be. Discuss your

goals for the future and your plans for achieving those goals. Tell us why you think this scholarship will help you achieve those goals (hint: everyone needs the money to avoid debt, so give us other reasons why you need it!)

Make yourself stand out. The scholarship committee reads dozens of essays and applications. Find a way to help us remember you. Tell a story about yourself that helps the committee understand what makes you special.

Do NOT recycle essays from other scholarship applications without tailoring them to our application. You can use parts of other essays, but be sure you address the questions we are asking you to answer.

PROOFREAD your essay! And have someone else proofread it. Make the corrections, and then proofread it one last time! It is hard to focus on the real message of the essay when it is full of grammatical and spelling errors.

Essay Evaluation Criteria

Did you answer the questions? Do you have a clear plan for the future, or at least

a clear plan for what your next steps are right now?

Did you do a good job of personalizing yourself on paper and helping us understand who you are?

Did you spell check/grammar check/proofread and make final corrections?

Essay Editing Assistance

Email a draft of your essay to susan@gahsc.org - it will be sent to a volunteer editor who will review, edit, and provide feedback to student.

Application Checklist

Application form Your current high school transcript with most recent grades

available OR a copy of your GED completion certificate Undergraduate transcript, if requesting funds for graduate

program Copy of standardized test scores, if applicable

(SAT/ACT/LSAT/GRE/GMAT, etc.) Letter of verification from case manager that states that you

are in that agency’s custody or verifying the date you were emancipated

Two letters of reference on author’s letterhead with signature across the seal of the sealed envelope

Essay

Ten Characteristics Used to Evaluate Applications: Educational/Career Goals Character Employment Leadership Extracurricular Activities Community Service Academic Record Other Financial Aid References (x4) Essay Quality (x8)

What Makes a Successful Application? Application is complete with all information

requested, including all attachments. Submitted on time. Typewritten if at all possible. Strong essay that conveys character and

personality of applicant. Clear educational goals for future.

Review/Decision Making Timeline Deadline: April 20, 2007 Applications reviewed by committee:

May 15, 2007 Decision letters mailed: May 31, 2007 Scholarships awarded: June 13, 2007 at

The Celebration of Excellence graduation event

Keeping Them In College Once They Get In Get connected with appropriate on-campus

resources (mental health, peer support groups, financial aid counselors, tutoring/study skills, student life, child care)

Get connected with peer mentor – preferably anther foster youth in college

Get connected with an adult mentor Identify housing resources for school breaks

Program Contact for Additional Information/Questions

Susan Allison

Project Transition Director

susan@gahsc.org

404-351-1678

Questions/Comments