(a) The Legislature makes the following findings and declarations:
(1) Children who live in foster care are abused and neglected individuals for whom the state has assumed parental responsibility. Although foster care is designed to reunite those children, when appropriate, with their parents, or to place those children with an adoptive family, many children are neither reunited with their parents nor adopted. When those children reach the age of 18 years, the state terminates its responsibility. Given that, it is important that these youth have access to postsecondary education, including career technical education during their time in foster care to ensure their long-term economic security.
(2) In California, there are more than 60,000 children and youth in foster care, and approximately 8,000 are college-aged, between 18 and 21 years of age.
(3) While 40 percent of foster youth will enroll in college by 19 years of age, their rate of persistence and degree completion is lower than the general population. Just one in five foster youth will successfully complete 30 or more units. By 26 years of age, 8 percent of foster youth will have earned an associate’s degree or higher, compared to 46 percent of the general population. One of the critical hurdles for this student population to overcome is finding the financial resources to fund their education. Only 9 percent of foster youth receive the Cal Grant, California’s need-based financial aid award.
(4) Emancipated foster youth, who do not have parents to rely upon for support and guidance, suffer unique disadvantages compared to other students. While many students are preoccupied with academic pressures, the primary concerns cited by former foster youth are the absence of family support and the fear of spending the holidays alone. Emancipated foster youth need emotional support and specialized resources from sensitive university staff who understand the unusual circumstances and pressing needs of emancipated foster youth.
(b) Accordingly, the Legislature states its intent that the Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges expand the access and retention programs of the university and the community colleges to include the following:
(1) Outreach services to foster youth to encourage their enrollment in a state university or a community college.
(2) Technical assistance to foster youth to assist those prospective students in completing admission applications and financial aid applications.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 763, Sec. 3. (AB 1567) Effective January 1, 2018.)