Improving Access to Higher Education for Foster Youth

May 16, 2025

The Fostering Youth Success Alliance secured $8.4 million in public funding for the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) to improve higher education outcomes for youth who have experienced foster care across New York State.

Now in its 10th year, FYCSI provides financial and academic support to help college students in foster care achieve their educational goals. From an initial investment of $1.5 million in 2015, which benefited 350 students, the program has grown to support 1,285 students during the 2024-25 academic year.

In 2024, the Rockefeller Institute released a program evaluation report, which indicated:

• Students enrolled in FYCSI had higher retention rates from their first to second year in college compared to Pell Grant recipients, under-represented minority groups, and SUNY students overall.
• FYCSI recipients attending SUNY schools consistently posted higher graduation rates for associate degrees than their peers with a foster care background and Pell Grant recipients.

RHF’s funding for Foster Youth Success Alliance is part of our strategic priority to continue to support strategies that ensure young people with experience in the child welfare system can connect, heal, lead, and thrive.

Learn more about the Foster Youth College Success Initiative.