Scholarship Directs College Money To Foster Care Youth

DENVER (CBS4) - Less than two percent of teens in foster care will graduate from college; one of the biggest barriers for them is paying tuition. The Helen McLoraine Scholarship Program for Foster Care and Emancipating Youth is designed to improve that statistic.

LINK: The Helen McLoraine Scholarship Program for Foster Care and Emancipating Youth

Offered by The Denver Foundation, the McLoraine Scholarship grants anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 to a student and can be awarded up to four years.

"All of our youth have been in the foster care system, not united with their family, for at least two years between the ages of 13 to 18," said Emily Stanley, senior scholarship officer at The Denver Foundation.

Recipients can go to a technical school, trade school, a community college, or a four-year college. The scholarship started in 2011, and so far The Denver Foundation has given out $740,000 to 160 students.

Tish Mead is one of those students. She's received $24,000 for her first three years of college. Currently, she's in her junior year at Metro State University.

"Right now I'm completing my pre-recs to apply for nursing school in September," Mead told CBS4.

Mead went into foster care when she was 8 years old. Within four years, she'd been in 12 different homes. She had five years in one foster home and was adopted for a short time before that failed. At the age of 18, she found herself completely on her own.

"I was terrified. I was terrified out of my wits," she said with a laugh.

She kept her eye on the prize and kept moving toward her goal of college.

"Money was a huge thing," Mead said.

With the Helen McLoraine Scholarship, she was able overcome that barrier and continue her education.

"I was thrilled. I was like, 'Here it is. I have a chance,'" Mead said.

"Many of the students are at risk for homelessness and joblessness and there are many barriers to getting an education," Mead said.

Children in foster care move homes often, which also means they move schools. Each time they move it puts them 3 – 6 months behind academically. They are constantly concerned with meeting their most basic needs like food, shelter and transportation, and often succeeding in school falls low on the list. Most of the time, foster care youth don't have an experienced, caring adult to guide them through the application and financial aid processes.

For Mead, the scholarship has been a path to self-sufficiency.

"I'm excited to take this new step in life, and finally work towards my end goal and finally be on that path." Mead said.

LINK: The Denver Foundation

Libby Smith is a Special Projects Producer at CBS4. If you have a story you'd like to tell CBS4 about, call 303-863-TIPS (8477) or visit the News Tips section.