This article is published in partnership with Foster Advocates.
Foster youth encounter unique challenges when they navigate the educational system, especially during their high school and college years. These challenges can have a significant impact on their academic success, personal development, and overall well-being. Often, these challenges differ from those faced by their peers who have not experienced foster care, stemming from a history of trauma, instability, and lack of support. After spending crucial formative years in foster care, I can personally attest to the significant impacts these challenges had on my journey.
In 2016, I began the process of transitioning out of foster care and into college. Feeling like I had very few options, I chose to attend a college about an hour away from my hometown. This transition was particularly challenging, adding to the many obstacles I had already faced. I quickly began to feel the weight of certain barriers that would significantly impact my academic path. Financial strain, lack of a support system, educational difficulties, and mental health struggles were prominent challenges that required me to exert double the effort compared to my peers without similar obstacles.
When transitioning out of foster care and into college, financial literacy emerges as a crucial skill that many foster youths lack. The deficiency in this fundamental knowledge hinders foster youth’s ability to manage finances, leading to challenges in meeting essential expenses such as tuition fees, housing costs, and other college-related expenses. Overall, I felt like I had very little knowledge and understanding of finances. I wasn’t allowed the opportunity to get a job during my high school years because I was in foster care at the time. So, upon entering college, I had no savings. I often struggled to make ends meet in my adulthood, which sometimes meant barely having groceries or falling behind on bills such as rent, utilities, and medical expenses. Due to this lack of knowledge, I took out too many loans for school, didn’t understand how to budget effectively, and ended up with over $25,000 worth of debt after my first two years of college.
Another primary challenge faced by foster youth transitioning to college is the lack of support systems in place to help them navigate the complexities of college life. Without someone to help me navigate the complexities of college life, I struggled to find resources, make important decisions, and cope with the stress of both academic and personal life challenges. Apart from my case worker, there wasn’t anyone I could rely on for support, leaving me feeling extremely isolated and alone.
Furthermore, educational difficulties created another major challenge in my transition. Like many foster youth, I experienced disruptions in my education due to frequent moves, changes in schools, and instability in living situations. As a result of these experiences, I had gaps in both my knowledge and skills that put me at a disadvantage compared to my peers. This challenge made it harder for me to keep up with coursework, participate in extracurricular activities, and meet academic expectations.
Prior to college, I faced many mental health struggles which were intensified by navigating through these challenges. The financial strain, lack of support system, and educational difficulties heightened my levels of depression and anxiety, which ultimately led me to drop out of college after my sophomore year. It is crucial for colleges, social services, and community organizations to provide comprehensive support services, resources, and programs to help foster youth navigate this challenging transition successfully. By addressing these challenges and providing the necessary support systems, we can help foster youth thrive in college and beyond, break the cycle of adversity, and enable them to achieve their full potential academically, personally and emotionally.
