Foster children in Pennsylvania will soon be able to attend college tuition-free.
A new state law extends the offer to anyone who spent time in foster care at age 16 or older, including students who have since aged out of the system or been adopted. Twenty-eight other states offer similar waivers for foster youth, according to The Allentown Morning Call.
The tuition waiver, which does not include room and board, will go into effect in fall 2020. All Pennsylvania colleges, including public and private institutions, are covered by the legislation.
“This is a very long overdue first step in helping this population,” Nadia Mozaffar, an attorney with the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, told the newspaper.
In addition to free tuition, the bill stipulates that colleges in the state must appoint one individual on campus whose job is solely focused on helping foster kids navigate the financial aid process and find support services on campus.
Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.