This training for Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators was attended by financial aid administrators from all over the state, and facilitated by Tina Jacob of Ohio Reach, Lisa Dickson of ACTION Ohio, and Ohio Reach Peer Mentors Kyajah Rodriguez, Cloe Cooper, Amadea Jennings and Lamar Graham.

1. OASFAA
Training
Lisa Dickson
Tina Jacob, MPH, CHES
Cloe Cooper
Lamar Graham
Amadea Jennings
Ky Rodriguez

3. 1. Desired Outcomes
2. Sense of Urgency
3. Resource Overview
4. Continued Partnership
5. Questions and Answers
Agenda

4. Desired Outcomes
• To improve outcomes for post-secondary
students with a foster care history by
informing them about available resources.
• This will greatly improve retention;
nationally less than 3% of former foster
youth graduate with a four- year degree.

5. • This impacts many students in
Ohio. In 2016:
14,528 Ohio post-secondary
students reported having a foster
care history
3,689 were eligible as independent
students on the FAFSA.

6. Sense of Urgency
• There is a large gap that exists
between resources available and
resource utilization due to lack of
awareness
• This international pandemic has had a
negative impact on all students,
particularly those who lack family
support.

7. Transition to Young Adulthood for
a young person growing up with their
biological family

8. Challenges faced by a young person
who “ages out” of foster care

9. ACES
• Adverse Childhood Experience
Score measures trauma.
• 51% of children in the system have
a score of 4 or more while only 13%
of general pop have the same score.
• Higher scores means higher risk of
risk-taking behaviors and a negative
impact on physical and mental
health.

10. Lack of support system
creates barriers

11. Out of the 2,700 students who participated
in an October 2020 survey of former foster
youth conducted by the Jim Casey Youth
Initiative:
• 32% were lacking in rent money
• 33% were food-insecure
• 26% lacked funding for transportation
• 39% were struggling with employment
• 43% reported difficulties with emotional
health

12. Resource Overview
• Ohio Reach and ACTION Ohio have
created a Resource List for Former
Foster Youth Pursuing Post-Secondary
Education.
• Ohio Reach Peer Mentors are going to
share five of these resources and why
they are so important.

13. Five Resources
1. Bridges
2. FAFSA
3. ETV
4. Short-Term Certificate Funds
5. Campus Programs

14. • Requirements
– Work 80 hours a month or enrolled in
school
– Aged out of care at 18, 19, or 20
• Monthly stipend to help cover
expenses related to transitioning out
of care
• Additional connection to resources
related to housing, food, etc.

15. Filing as an
“Independent
Student”
Three categories:
• Student who is an orphan, in foster care, or a
ward of the court, at any time when the student
was 13 years of age or older
• Student who is an emancipated minor or is in
legal guardianship as determined by the court
in their state of legal residence
• Applicant is verified as an unaccompanied
youth who is homeless or at risk of
homelessness and self-supporting
2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act

16. ETV Eligibility:
A current, or former foster youth who:
• Was in foster care on their 18th birthday and aged
out at that time; OR
• Was adopted from foster care with the adoption
finalized AFTER his/her 16th birthday; OR
• Will have his/her foster care case closed between
the ages of 18 and 21
• At least 18 to apply for the first time.

17. ETV Benefits:
• This includes colleges, universities and vocational
institutions
• Funds can be used for:
Tuition, textbooks, and living expenses
• Must be already accepted or enrolled in a
degree, certificate or other accredited program at a
college, university, technical, vocational school
• To remain eligible for ETV funding, students must
show progress toward a degree or certificate.
• Students remain eligible for ETV up until their 27th
birthday.

20. Ohio Reach and Campus Programs
More on www.ohioreach.org/network

21. Founded by a foster care alumni,
to serve students with a foster care
history at OSU:

22. Continued Partnership
• We would love for this list of resources to
be proactively shared with every student
at your school who fills out the FAFSA
as an independent student, each
quarter, along with the contact info for
your campus representative.
• Please review the Policy and Practice
Recommendations in the policy brief,
such as financial supports (i.e. CARES
Act), access to year-round campus
housing, and access to transportation
supports.