Colorado Foster Care Success Act: Education Benefits for Foster Youth

When a teenager in foster care talks about going to college, one of the first practical questions is: who pays for it? For young people who have grown up in stable families with parents who could save, plan, and co-sign FAFSA forms, the answer is complicated enough. For foster youth who may have aged out of the system without biological family support, the question can feel unanswerable.

Colorado has addressed this directly. The Foster Care Success Act provides a tuition-waiver benefit for eligible foster youth at Colorado public schools and post-secondary institutions. Other education supports may also exist; confirm current programs and eligibility with CDHS and the institution.

What the Colorado Foster Care Success Act Provides

The Foster Care Success Act established tuition waivers for eligible foster youth attending Colorado public schools and post-secondary institutions. Confirm the current program name, eligibility rules, and application process with CDHS and the institution.

Tuition waiver at public institutions. Eligible foster youth may qualify for a tuition waiver at a Colorado public institution. The institution and CDHS can confirm which costs are covered and how to apply.

Eligibility. Eligibility depends on the young person's foster-care history, age, and enrollment circumstances. Confirm the current rules before relying on the waiver.

Other education aid. Additional state or federal aid may be available to some foster and former foster youth, but program names, amounts, and eligibility change. Ask CDHS and the institution's financial-aid office.

Additional vouchers or supports. Ask CDHS whether an education or training voucher or another support program applies to the young person's circumstances; do not assume a particular amount or covered expense.

School Stability During Foster Care: The Education Rights Picture

The education benefits for foster youth don't start at college. They begin with school stability protections during placement, which directly affect the children in your care as a foster parent.

School stability. Ask the caseworker and school about school-of-origin options, enrollment, transportation, and the records needed to keep the child's education as stable as possible after placement.

Enrollment and records. If a placement changes schools, ask the caseworker and receiving school how enrollment and record transfer will be handled without unnecessary delay.

School contact. Ask whether the district or school has a foster-care education liaison or another designated contact who can help coordinate enrollment, records, and services.

Credits and progress. If a foster youth has moved between schools, ask the school and caseworker how partial credits and graduation progress will be documented and preserved.

What Foster Parents Should Do to Support Education

As a licensed foster parent, you are legally part of the child welfare team and are expected to advocate for the children in your care. On education issues, that means:

• Making contact with the school's foster care education liaison early in a placement
• Confirming that the child's school of origin rights have been honored, or that an intentional decision has been made to enroll them locally with appropriate documentation
• Attending school meetings and asking the caseworker how foster-parent participation in court or education decisions is handled
• Asking CDHS or the institution about current deadlines for any education-support applications

For teenagers approaching 18 who are in your care, having a direct conversation about the Foster Care Success Act's tuition waiver — what it covers, how to apply, and what it means for their options — is one of the most valuable conversations you can have. Many foster youth do not know these benefits exist until they have already aged out and missed the window to take advantage of them.

Extended Foster Care and Continued Education

Colorado's extended foster care program may allow eligible youth to remain connected to foster care services up to age 21. Confirm the current participation criteria and available supports with the caseworker or CDHS.

Enrollment in college may affect eligibility for extended-care supports, but the available services and conditions vary. Discuss the options with teenagers approaching 18 and confirm current rules before making plans.

Where to Get More Information

CDHS and the relevant public institution can provide current tuition-waiver eligibility and application information. Confirm details directly before relying on a program description found online.

The Colorado Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the full landscape of benefits and supports for foster families and foster youth — including education rights during placement, the tuition waiver program, and how to advocate effectively for the children in your care throughout their school years.

A Note on Why This Matters

Research on adult outcomes for former foster youth is consistent and sobering: people who age out of foster care without completing post-secondary education or vocational training face significantly worse outcomes across income, housing stability, and health metrics than their peers. The Foster Care Success Act is Colorado's recognition that the state's responsibility does not end when a young person turns 18 — it extends through the years when education determines the arc of their adult life.

As a foster parent, especially one caring for teenagers, you are in a position to change what happens after the system ends. Knowing what's available — and making sure the young people in your care know it too — is part of that.

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