Access to Financial Aid

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act (Public Law 110-84) was signed into law on September 27, 2007.  The new law will help adopted foster care youth receive college financial aid and will provide loan forgiveness to child welfare workers. The law includes the “Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act” amendment, which changes the federal definition of “independent student” to include foster care youth adopted after age 13;  and bases students’ financial aid eligibility solely on their ability to pay, regardless of adoptive parents’ income.


Formerly, youth  who “aged out” of the system could qualify for virtually all loans and grants, but since family income was included in determining eligibility for those who have been adopted, most adopted teens were unable to access federal financial aid loans and grants.  In addition the new law forgives loans for public or private child welfare workers who receive a degree is social work or a related field.


Youth who were adopted after age 13 will need to indicate their status as an “independent student” when they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for college financial aid. You can learn about the FAFSA and complete it at www.fasa.gov .  See the “Voice for Adoption” Factsheet Expanded Access to College Financial Aid for Former Foster Youth (pdf) for further information.


Last modified: November 29, 2010