College help for a child in foster care

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:hi all, thanks for your help. We live in Virginia (just outside of DC) - and she is in Virginia foster care. She is Caucasian.

My guess is she will probably come out around a 3 or 3.2 this year which will bring her GPA up to a 2.3 I think? Maybe we get it to 2.5 by the end of first semester senior year. I should also add that we discovered she had hearing loss when she came into care. So she's done most of her education without the necessary hearing aids.

My husband and I are willing to pay for college. She does get to apply for FAFSA without our financial information due to her circumstances. There are also some foster care scholarships out there that we will apply for.

Adding GMU - I love how close it is, but worried that it might be too much of a reach.

I didn't know much about UMW - I will add it. Thank you! I'm not from this area and have never had a kid go through the application process, so I am becoming familiar with the schools in the area.

I agree - I worry about her feeling lost in a school that is too big. Hoping that feeling is more apparent during tours - the feeling between a big school and a small school and we can coach her to the appropriate environment.

Community college works for us too. And we fully support that choice. I know there are two year colleges that have more of a collegial atmosphere as most of the kids are fullt time students and hoping to transfer to a four year. Any recs there would be appreciated. As a child in the system she does get free community college in Virginia.

Hi OP, another foster Mom here. I sent a foster DS to college as well. For your DD smaller and closer would be ideal. I am not from the area so I don’t know the colleges. I recommend summer enrichment for her, perhaps at the local community college to help her with any gaps. It will be important to have outside help before college otherwise it could be to difficult and discouraging, especially freshman year. It will also help with the college “feel”. In DC I believe CC has summer enrichment for HS so check your local CC. Also if you haven’t already, work on study habits and scheduling. I am a mentor and found that my High School, now college mentee really needed help with scheduling, study habits, outlining a paper etc.

Taking some cc classes is a good idea. She will be Pell-eligible and I think she would be able to use her Pell for cc classes the summer after she graduates from high school. I work in college access for kids who have a variety of challenges. I think 4 year residential is a good idea. Encourage a college that has strong support services. I think a college with a diverse student body would probably be easier for her-a school with one of everyone will be easier than a school full of rich kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consider speaking with an educational advocate about options for extending her time in school. With an IEP she can go to school until age 22- during that time she can receive transition services, job training services, even have funds available for dual enrollment while maintaining the services and supports provided by an IEP. There are so many options available for children that aren’t quite ready to make that leap immediately when they turn 17 or 18.

www.wrightslaw.com

www.pathfindersforautism.org

Having an IEP for emotional issues means she is probably on diploma track. It would not be kn her interest to be 19 or 20 and in a transition program with kids with more significant disabilities. She needs to be in college.

https://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/idea-funds-for-postsecondary-programs-while-still-in-high-school/

Isn’t it great that having an IEP qualifies someone for transition services and college funds vía IDEA?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at the Richard Bland College of William & Mary. It's essentially a residential junior college that has a relationship with W&M. https://www.rbc.edu/

I was coming here to say the same thing. RBC students live on campus and have a traditional “college” experience while earning an associate’s degree. They can then transfer to William & Mary for their junior and senior year. I think this would give her more of a support network and safety net.
https://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/how-to-apply/transfers/rbc_students/index.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I don't have any advice to help on the topic, but wanted to say kudos to you for helping this child. What a remarkable impact you will have on her life.

+ 1 million

[Anonymous]

I think some schools will consider her trend in grades an important factor, such that they’ll treat her as if she has a 3.3 or wherever her grades end up if u ignore freshman year. Maybe add Towson to your list to visit and Mt. St. Mary’s in MD.

[Anonymous]

Maybe Marymount in Arlington? Super tiny, super close, but with traditional dorms on campus. I did my grad program there through night classes and was impressed with the kindness and nurturing of the faculty.

[Anonymous]

OP Here. Just wanted to say that I am reading and taking notes and appreciate the responses.
Yes - she is on track for a standard diploma.
In no particular order I have these on my list for us to look at - realizing that many of these are likely too big/impersonal and understanding pps comments about a smaller school being easier to manage. Also agree with comments about diversity. If you suggested one and I missed it, please let me know.

Richard Bland College
Mary Baldwin
Hollins University
Radford
Randolph College
Bridgewater College
University of Mary Washington
Hood
VCU
McDaniel College
Longwood
George Mason University
Goucher
James Madison University
Marymount
Sweet Briar
Notre Dame of MD

[Anonymous]

Check out questbridge for sure!!

[Anonymous]

She will age out of foster care soon. I thought the aim of foster care at that age is to teach them to be independent
Foster kids are often homeless during college summer vacations and less than 3% go to college. Does she have her drivers license, know how to navigate insurance and go make dr appointments on her own, how to do laundry, how to cook and so on
Does she qualify for any post foster care support.
What about contact with her bio family. Sometimes that is made a priority to so they have some support post foster care

[Anonymous]

Agree about questbridge.
Thank you for all you are doing.
I think schools won’t average all three years for a gpa but will look at the trajectory

[Anonymous]

Unless she has demonstrated that she can be responsible and independent, community college sounds like the best option.

[Anonymous]

Contact Kathleen Glynn Sparrow at The College Coaches and explain the situation. She may give this child a big discount for her services. Kathleen has many contacts at colleges that will consider this child and she’s great at figuring all this out. I would add Goucher, Mary Washington, and Hood to the list. Many colleges will look at the child’s positive trajectory if she gets past the rough screen. Kathleen is great at this. She helped my low GPA child get into 1st choice college. Good luck and Big Kudos!!!

[Anonymous]

OP: I'm sorry I don't have advice, but you are a beautiful person and give me hope for humanity. Bless you.

[Anonymous]

Agree dual enrollment and transition services through IEP continuation would be best for setting her up for college success. We did to provide job skills, social skills, and organizational skills by doing extended/delayed diploma. They ended up with high school diploma, technical skills certificate, and several college credits under IEP. Finished at 20, transferred credits to great university. Was great for building confidence and social skills. Saved money too!

[Anonymous]

Consider the two year community college track, then transfer to a university. Might be good for her to continue at your safe home base during this transition.