Educational Supports for Youth in Foster Care - Alaska

Date: April 2020

Support for Completing High School

This issue is not addressed in the statutes and regulations reviewed.

Planning for Postsecondary Education

This issue is not addressed in the statutes and regulations reviewed.

Eligibility Requirements

Citation: AK Dept. of Health and Social Services website

A State-funded University of Alaska Presidential Foster Youth Tuition Waiver may be awarded to a person who meets the following qualifications:

  • The person must be a youth who is or was in the custody of the Office of Child Services (OCS) and in foster care (out-of-home care) on or after his or her 16th birthday and has not yet reached age 21.
  • The person must be a resident of Alaska.
  • The person must be accepted into an undergraduate certificate or degree program and enroll in classes by the first fall semester following receipt of the award or graduation from high school, whichever occurs later.
  • The person must maintain good standing within the university community (academic, financial, and conduct).
  • The person must maintain a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.

A State-funded Alaska Pacific University (APU) Promise Tuition Grant for Foster Youth may be awarded to a person who meets the following qualifications:

  • The person must be a youth who is or was in OCS custody and in foster care (out-of-home care) on or after his or her 16th birthday and has not yet reached age 21.
  • The person must be a resident of Alaska.
  • The person must complete Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education requirements for the Alaska Education Grant and Alaska Performance Scholarship, if applicable.
  • The person must be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
  • The person must be accepted into an undergraduate certificate or degree program and enroll in classes by the first fall semester following receipt of the award or graduation from high school, whichever occurs later.
  • The person must complete the APU donor-funded scholarship application.
  • The person must maintain good standing within the university community (academic, financial, and conduct).
  • The person must maintain satisfactory academic progress financial aid standards, including a 67 percent course completion rate and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

To be eligible for a federally funded Education Training Voucher (ETV), a youth must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The youth is or was in OCS custody and in foster care (out-of-home care) on or after his or her 16th birthday and has not yet reached age 21.
  • The youth must have completed a high school diploma or earned a general educational development diploma.
  • The youth must be accepted into a qualifying institution of higher education.
  • The youth must be enrolled in a program prior to his or her 21st birthday to receive funds until he or she reaches age 23.
  • The youth must be attending an accredited school at least half-time.

An accredited school is one that meets the following criteria:

  • Awards a bachelor's degree or no less than a 2-year program that provides credit toward a degree
  • Provides no less than 1-year of training toward gainful employment or is a vocational program that provides training for gainful employment and has been in existence for at least 2 years

Financial Supports for Postsecondary Programs

Citation: AK Dept. of Health and Social Services website

The University of Alaska, in partnership with OCS, offers 15 Presidential Foster Youth Tuition Waivers each year to eligible youth currently and formerly in foster care. Presidential Foster Youth Tuition Waivers can be used toward the cost of tuition at any University of Alaska campus for up to 144 undergraduate credits within 6 years, not to exceed 10 semesters.

APU, in partnership with OCS, offers up to 10 Promise Tuition Grants (PTGs) for Foster Youth each year to eligible youth currently and formerly in foster care to reduce the cost of tuition to $0 for those who qualify for the APU PTG program. PTG for Foster Youth can be used each fall and spring semester for up to 5 years.

The federally funded ETV program offers financial assistance to eligible youth who are currently or formerly in foster care to attend an accredited college, university, or vocational or technical college.

The maximum ETV award is $5,000 per academic year. Awards are unique to each student and are based on the cost of attendance formula established by his or her college of choice. The award can cover the following school-related expenses:

  • Tuition
  • Student fees
  • Books and supplies
  • Room (on-campus or off-campus housing)
  • Board (food)
  • Transportation
  • Personal/miscellaneous expenses
  • Child care

Once awarded an ETV, the student must maintain good academic standing and meet the institution's satisfactory academic progress policy.

For more information on these programs, see the OCS website.

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