Young people with experience in foster care face significant barriers to graduating high school and completing college. Even compared with peers from similar economic backgrounds, they are far less likely to enroll in or persist in postsecondary education.
Pennsylvania made important progress in 2019 by expanding aid for foster youth and dramatically reducing cost barriers. But affordability alone does not ensure access. Students also need trusted guidance, help navigating applications and financial aid forms, exposure to supportive campuses, and assistance transitioning to college life. PEF’s Fostering College Readiness initiative was created to help close this gap by pairing financial opportunity with the personalized support students need to succeed.
Fostering College Readiness (FCR) Senior Manager Madeline Birkner provides specialized counseling to students who have experience in foster care, complementing PEF’s long-standing College Access Program services. And once matriculated to college, students can draw on a dedicated basic-needs fund that helps them start college on stable footing. Support ranges from textbooks and calculators to bedding, winter clothing, and everyday essentials – items that can make the difference between persistence and withdrawal.
FCR also organizes free campus and career exploration visits, which include transportation, meals, and the option to bring a supportive companion. Recent trips destinations included Penn State University Abington, Arcadia University, Orleans Technical College, and the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union Training Center.
Targeted, wraparound support makes a measurable difference. When youth in foster care have consistent guidance and practical resources, they gain the confidence and tools to pursue, and complete, their postsecondary goals.
Since early 2025, our core programming and the basic-needs fund have been generously supported by the Jeanne & Herbert Hansell Fund, which also expanded access for foster youth to PEF’s stipended Scholars Advantage summer program. Individuals, corporations, or foundations interested in joining efforts to sustain and expand this work can learn more about ways to donate to PEF here.
