The college application process is difficult for many high school students. For a child in the foster care system who has suffered through any number of ACEs, an already daunting experience can seem nearly impossible.

As the Michigan ACE Initiative works to train communities to better identify signs of ACEs in children, it is also important to communicate educational resources available to help children dealing with trauma , such as those in foster care systems.

According to Fostering Success in Education, 84 percent of youth ages 17-18 with experience in foster care report wanting to go to college. However, only 20 percent of these adolescents who graduate from high school will attend college and only 50 percent will graduate high school by age 18.

Fostering Success Michigan and a variety of public universities in Michigan are taking steps to help bridge the gap between high school and postsecondary education for students coming through the foster care system. Through financial aid, mentorship programs and other support systems provided through these services, ACEs survivors in the foster care system are given the opportunity to flourish in a postsecondary setting.

Here are some of the programs in place throughout Michigan to assist students from the foster care system:

MID-MICHIGAN

WEST MICHIGAN

NORTHWEST MICHIGAN

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN

 THE THUMB

A tremendous return on investment can be achieved by providing effective services and support for kids who have gone through the foster care system. Since 2016, a total of 1,265 students were supported by campus-based support programs in Michigan. These programs can make a life-changing difference to kids who are interested in pursuing a college degree, and can help guide those affected by ACEs on the path to resiliency.

 

The MAHP Foundation received funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to support the Creating Healing Communities: A Statewide Initiative to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Michigan. Learn more here.