<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=948090013-28032007><FONT face=Arial>This article appeared in
the NASFAA News today and I'm blatantly violating NASFAA's copyright but I don't
think they'll mind. You know, I really think we could be doing a lot more
with our partnership with Citizens Caring for Children than just providing
socks, underwear, and money. We really should also be offering our
services as financial aid professionals to help the older foster youth move to
college. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=948090013-28032007><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=948090013-28032007><FONT face=Arial>Food for thought...and a
possible topic at our business meeting on April 12? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pam McConahay</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Assoc. Dir., Compliance, Training & Lender Relations</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=Arial size=2>University of Oklahoma Financial Aid Services</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=Arial size=2>1000 Asp Avenue, Room 216 </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Norman OK 73019-4078</FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2>(405)
325-4617 Fax (405) 325-7608</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>pmcconahay@ou.edu </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=1>This message, and attachments if any, from the
University of Oklahoma may</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=1>contain confidential
or privileged information. If you are not the intended</FONT> <FONT
face=Arial size=1>recipient of this information, you are prohibited from
reading, disclosing,</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=1>reproducing, distributing,
disseminating, or otherwise using this</FONT> <FONT face=Arial
size=1>information. If you received this transmission in error, please
notify the</FONT> <FONT face=Arial size=1>sender and delete this message
immediately. Thank you. </FONT></P></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<TABLE id=Table3 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top align=left width=551>
<TABLE id=Table3 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#b52525>
<H4>Reaching Out to Foster Youth</H4></FONT>
<P></P></FONT><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">
<P><FONT face=Arial></FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Young adults who make it to postsecondary
programs after leaving foster care are frequently challenged by many
personal, academic, and financial barriers that impede their
progress and college success, according to John Emerson, senior
manager of education for </FONT><A
href="http://www.casey.org/Home"><FONT face=Arial>Casey Family
Programs</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>In the recent article, </FONT><A
href="http://www.nasfaa.org/PDFs/2007/FosterSpread.pdf"><I><FONT
face=Arial>From Foster Care to College</FONT></I></A><SPAN
class=948090013-28032007></SPAN><FONT face=Arial> </FONT><A
href="http://www.nasfaa.org/PDFs/2007/FosterSpread.pdf"><FONT
face=Arial>http://www.nasfaa.org/PDFs/2007/FosterSpread.pdf</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN class=948090013-28032007></SPAN> in the
National Association of Student Personnel Administrators' (NASPA)
Leadership Exchange, Emerson underscores the vital impact that
postsecondary personnel can have on the lives of foster care youth
and is encouraged by the progress being made by the growing number
of programs spearheaded by senior student affairs officers (SSAOs).
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"Each year some 20,000 youth age 16 and older
transition from foster care to legal emancipation and find
themselves on their own. Without adequate independent living skills,
resources, or safety nets, many experience homelessness and
unemployment," writes Emerson, explaining the unique issues that
foster care youth face when transitioning from foster care to
adulthood. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>It is estimated that only 7 to 13 percent of
youth living in foster care go on to enroll in postsecondary
schooling compared to 27 percent of the general population. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"There are too many foster care youth falling
through the cracks," said Tim Christensen, NASFAA vice president for
planning & development. "It is incumbent on all of us involved
in postsecondary access to reach out to these students and
understand the unique and specific challenges they face. Trying to
reach all underserved students by painting each subgroup within that
population with the same broad brush is simply unacceptable."
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Not only do students from foster care lack the
support structure that other students take for granted, many also
have reservations about identifying their pasts. This makes it
difficult to reach out to them to provide information, funding and
other resources to help them achieve their postsecondary educational
goals. </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"We have a population that feels like they
should hide their status," said Marcia Weston, NASFAA Director of
College Goal Sunday Operations and who - like Christensen - has
worked personally on NASFAA's foster youth initiatives with
organizations like Casey Family Programs. "Many foster care youth
that we have talked to have said that they weren't even aware
college was an option for them, let alone that there are specific
provisions and programs that may provide them more financial aid
than the average student." </FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>In recent months NASFAA has made it a priority
to help aid administrators, high school guidance counselors, and
other school personnel understand their role in reaching out to this
underrepresented population. Some of NASFAA's most recent work in
this area includes: </FONT>
<UL>
<LI><A
href="http://www.nasfaa.org/SubHomes/ResearchHome/NASFAAFosterCare%20Report.Pdf"><I><FONT
face=Arial>College Access, Financial Aid, and College Success for
Undergraduates from Foster Care</FONT></I></A><FONT face=Arial>, a
publication that contains a comprehensive list of recommendations
for government and institutional leaders to improve foster care
success rates in higher education </FONT>
<LI><A
href="http://www.nasfaa.org/annualpubs/FosterYouthFAFSA.pdf"><I><FONT
face=Arial>Foster Youth: Tips for Completing the
FAFSA</FONT></I></A><FONT face=Arial>, a publication for aid
administrators and high school guidance counselors to help foster
care youth understand parts of the FAFSA that pertain specifically
to their situation </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Arranging a presentation with sponsorship by
NASFAA's Student Access and Diversity Committee at NASFAA's 2006
National Conference, Reaching out to Foster Youth: The Unique Role
of the Financial Aid Administrator </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Reaching out specifically to students in
foster care in nationwide College Goal Sunday initiatives that
help students fill out the FAFSA. </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Participating in training financial aid
administrators to serve as foster youth liaisons in financial aid
offices throughout the California Community College System (CCCS).
</FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Planning a presentation, again with
sponsorship from the Student Access and Diversity Committee, at
NASFAA's 2007 National Conference, Foster Youth Success
Initiative: The Financial Aid Office Outreach and Retention
Project, based on the CCCS experience. </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Building a coalition of states that have or
are initiating postsecondary services for youth in foster
care.</FONT></LI></UL>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Emerson points out that if foster youth attended
postsecondary education at the same rate as their peers, there would
be an additional 100,000 additional foster youth attending college.
</FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"We have seen success in our outreach activities
in the past several years," says Christensen. "But there is much
more to be done and NASFAA will continue to work with Casey Family
Programs and other similar organizations to broaden access to these
students, who first need to be identified and then given
information, resources, and positive influencers to help them along
the way to reaching their educational goals." </FONT>
<P><I><FONT face=Arial>By </FONT><A
href="mailto:DraegerJ@NASFAA.org"><FONT face=Arial>Justin
Draeger</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> <BR>NASFAA Assistant Director
for Communications</FONT></I><FONT face=Arial> </FONT>
<P><I><FONT face=Arial>Posted 03/28/07 to </FONT><A
href="http://www.nasfaa.org/"><FONT
face=Arial>www.NASFAA.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>. You can read
the complete </FONT><A
href="http://www.nasfaa.org/PDFs/2007/FosterSpread.pdf"><FONT
face=Arial>Winter 2007 Leadership Exchange article</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial> on the NASFAA Web site where it has been posted with
permission from </FONT><A
href="http://www.naspa.org/press/mediakit.cfm"><FONT
face=Arial>NASPA</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>. Redistribution to
non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web Site
questions or comments to </FONT><A
href="mailto:Web@NASFAA.org"><FONT
face=Arial>Web@NASFAA.org</FONT></A></I><FONT face=Arial>. <!--- DO NOT TOUCH BELOW THIS LINE ---></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=bottom><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></BODY></HTML>