Michigan’s Fostering Futures scholarship program is taking applications now from college-bound high school students who have been part of the state’s foster system. Michigan Education Trust Director Diane Brewer tells WSJM News Fostering Futures provides up to $3,000 in support for college students who were in foster care on or after their 13th birthday. She says young people coming out of foster care often have trouble going to college.
“Approximately 70% of students who come out of foster care would like to attend college,” Brewer said. “The percentage who will actually go on to college is about 10%, and of that, less than 3% will graduate. A lot of that has to do with the expense of college.”
Brewer says Fostering Futures was created in 2012 to help those young people. Since then, the program has raised more than $1.3 million and supported about 500 students per year. The program wasn’t able to hold its usual fundraisers last year due to the pandemic, and you can learn more or donate at FosteringFutures-MI.com. The deadline to apply for scholarships this year is June 30.
