Living on the Edge: The Postsecondary Journeys of Foster Youth Alumni

• In Event: 46.034 - Experiences of Diverse Groups in Higher Education

Abstract

Approximately half a million children are in the U.S. foster care system and almost 24,000 age out of care annually (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). Youth who “age out” of foster care or more likely to face unemployment, homelessness, and incarceration, making them one of the most educationally vulnerable populations in the U.S. (Zetlin et al., 2004). Indeed, only a small percentage of foster care alumni (7 -13 percent) enroll in higher education and even fewer graduate (Casey Family Programs, 2010). Using social capital as a lens, this study seeks to better understand the college experiences of this vulnerable population based on interviews with 12 foster youth alumni who are or were enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

Authors

• Barbara F. Tobolowsky, The University of Texas - Arlington

• Elissa Madden, University of Texas at Arlington

• Maria Scannapieco, University of Texas at Arlington