Educational Supports for Youth in Foster Care - Michigan

Support for Completing High School

Citation: Comp. Laws § 722.982

Through the Foster Care Independence program, the department shall provide young adults who are likely to remain in foster care until age 18 assistance in obtaining a high school diploma, career exploration, vocational training, and job placement and retention.

Planning for Postsecondary Education

Citation: Comp. Laws § 722.982

Through the Foster Care Independence program, the department shall help young adults who are likely to remain in foster care until age 18 prepare for and enter postsecondary training and education institutions.

Eligibility Requirements

Citation: Comp. Laws § 722.1027b; Foster Care Pol. Man. § FOM-960

A student who is or has been in foster care is eligible for a Fostering Futures Scholarship if all the following apply:

• Due to child abuse or child neglect, the student was in foster care after his or her 13th birthday.
• The student is attending an institution of higher education in this State, as determined by the Department of Treasury.
• The student has an unmet financial education need.
• The student has completed the application and provided the department with the required documentation.
• The student maintains satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the department.

In policy: Youth eligible for the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program include the following:

• Youth who are or have been in an eligible foster care placement through the State of Michigan on or after their 14th birthday
• Youth adopted from foster care or placed in a relative guardianship from foster care after reaching age 16

Eligible youth must have a high school diploma or a general educational development diploma and be attending, at least part time, an accredited postsecondary institution.

There are no minimum age restrictions for the ETV program. A youth must be participating in the ETV program on or before his or her 21st birthday to remain eligible until the he or she reaches age 26. Continued eligibility requires enrollment in a postsecondary education or training program and satisfactory progress toward completion of that program.

Financial Supports for Postsecondary Programs

Citation: Comp. Laws § 722.1030; Foster Care Pol. Man. § FOM-960

Funds from the Fostering Futures Scholarship shall not be disbursed to a student who is currently or formerly in foster care until after that student has exhausted all other known available restricted grants for qualified educational expenses for postsecondary education provided by a Federal, State, or local governmental entity, as determined by the department, except for funds provided under the Michigan Promise Zone Authority Act, §§ 390.1661 to 390.1679.

Funds provided by the department on behalf of a student currently or formerly in foster care under this act shall not exceed the cost of that student's tuition, fees, room, board, books, supplies, and equipment required for enrollment at the institution of higher education, as determined by the department.

In policy: The Chafee ETV program provides resources specifically to meet the education and training needs of youth transitioning out of foster care. This program provides vouchers of up to $5,000 per fiscal year (amount to be determined by available Federal and State funds) to eligible youth attending postsecondary education and vocational programs.