Fostering College Readiness

The Fostering College Readiness program targets current high school students who are experiencing or who have experienced foster care through the Philadelphia Department of Human Services at any point after their 16th birthday. High school graduates or GED-holders can still be served by the program, although their educational support services may differ in nature from the high school-aged cohort.

Maybe! Eligibility criteria for the program is tied to eligibility for PHEAA’s Chafee Grant, with some possible additional requirements depending on your selected college program. If you are under the age of 25, were served by Philadelphia DHS after your 16th birthday, and will be a first-time college student, you may still qualify. Contact us to learn more!

No application is necessary to participate! Please reach out to Madeline Birkner, Senior Manager for Persistence and College Partnerships at mbirkner@philaedfund.org to learn more and get started with a phone call, zoom session, or in-person appointment. You can also send a direct message to our Instagram account for a quick question: @fosteringPEF.

There are three options for campus-based learning. Click the link to learn more about the admissions process for each partner institution.

• Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus
• West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Campus-Based College Flyer 

Fostering College Readiness participants can earn cost-free Associate’s Degrees through a Philadelphia-based program called Achieve College Education/I-LEAD. Though college credits are awarded by Harcum College, classes are conveniently held in the evenings at a number of community sites across Philadelphia. This is a great option for students who need to balance full-time employment with college.
Click here to directly connect with Harcum’s ACE/I-LEAD program for foster youth.

No. Each partner college that you apply to will evaluate your application according to its own standards for admission. However, Harcum College and Pennsylvania College of Technology are open enrollment institutions, so acceptance is not hugely dependent on your grades from high school.

If you are interested in applying to one or more of the partner colleges, you should have a consultation with your Fostering College Readiness counselor to discuss your academic, social, and financial fit.

No. If you are a high school student, you are encouraged to take advantage of Fostering College Readiness college prep programming in order to be prepared to take the next step after high school. If you decide that another college is a better fit for you academically, socially, and financially, you are not obligated to enroll in a partner college. However, the Immensitas Scholarship is available only at the three campus partners, so you may need to find other sources of funding if you experience a financial aid gap at your chosen college.

The Immensitas Scholarship can cover non-tuition expenses each year you’re in college, so long as you are enrolled at least half-time, you maintain “Satisfactory Academic Progress,” and you submit an updated FAFSA each year. Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined differently at each college but usually means earning a minimum 2.0 GPA and passing 2/3 of the credits that you attempted to earn.

Firstly, thank you for the work you do to support and advocate for foster youth! We are thrilled that you would like to connect eligible young people to this opportunity. You can do so in several ways:

• Request a Zoom info session to learn more with program manager, Madeline Birkner, by emailing mbirkner@philaedfund.org
• Request a materials drop (flyers, pamphlets, paper application packets) or in-person consultation session with program manager, Madeline Birkner, by emailing mbirkner@philaedfund.org
• Request a ‘train the trainer’ appointment, virtual or in person, to schedule a professional development seminar by emailing mbirkner@philaedfund.org
• Share this information within your professional networks
• Share this information with adult supporters of the foster youth in your orbit, such as foster parents, high school counselors, legal advocates, and more.

Please reach out to Madeline Birkner, Senior Manager for Persistence and College Partnerships. She can be reached at mbirkner@philaedfund.org and would love to hear from you. You can also send a direct message to our Instagram account for a quick question: @fosteringPEF.