Educational Supports for Youth in Foster Care - North Dakota

Date: April 2020

Support for Completing High School

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

Planning for Postsecondary Education

Citation: Cent. Code § 50-06-34

Services under the program must enhance or extend vocational rehabilitation, including transition from education to employment and from secondary education to higher education.

Eligibility Requirements

Citation: Pol. Man. § 624-10-25-15-05

Youth meeting the following criteria will be considered for an Education and Training Voucher (ETV) award:

  • Youth who 'aged out' of foster care, were discharged on or after their 18th birthday, or continue in 18+ Continued Care past their 18th birthday, and who have not reached their 26th birthday at the time of application
  • Youth who were adopted or entered kinship guardianship from foster care after age 16 but have not reached their 26th birthday
  • Youth who are U.S. citizens or qualified noncitizens
  • Youth who are or will be enrolled into a program at an accredited or preaccredited college, university, technical, or vocational school
  • Youth who agree to be an active participant in the John H. Chafee Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood program while they are receiving ETV funding

ETV award preference will be given to youth who were in foster care for 12 months or more.

Youth participating in the ETV program can remain eligible until they turn age 26, as long as they are enrolled and making satisfactory progress toward completing their postsecondary education or training program.

Financial Supports for Postsecondary Programs

Citation: Pol. Man. § 624-10-25-15

The ETV program provides resources specific to meeting the education and training needs of foster care alumni, as follows:

  • The total amount of educational aid (including the ETV, loans, scholarships, and grants) may not exceed the cost of attendance.
  • The maximum ETV allowable per academic year shall not exceed the lesser of $5,000 or the total cost of attendance, as defined in § 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. 'Academic year' is defined as the fall, spring, and summer semesters (in that order) each year.
  • An eligible student may receive ETV funds for a maximum of 5 years. The years do not need to be consecutive.

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