Foster Youth
Questions? Contact Us.
YVC Designated Passport Contact
Ray Navarro, MEd
Counselor
Yakima Campus
rnavarro@yvcc.edu
509-574-4603
Former Foster Youth
Yakima Valley College and Foster Teen Programs at Catholic Family and Child Service have partnered together to assist you in your transition from foster care to college. We are here to help you be a successful, independent college student.
Services Available to You:
- Link to financial aid, scholarships, and other college funding options
- Personalized academic advising
- Linkages to community resources, such as Independent Living Skills Programs
- On-campus mentoring to link with college resources and programs
- Student Advocacy
- Career Advising
If you were in foster care during your teen years, and are currently under the age of 23, you may be eligible for this program.
Passport For Foster Youth Promise Scholarship Program
The Passport to College Promise Scholarship program (Passport) was created in 2007 by the state of Washington to help students from foster care attend and succeed in college. Without significant intervention, fewer than two percent of foster youth are likely to attain a bachelor’s degree.
Passport is a comprehensive program providing support to students from high school through higher education completion. Three primary components are administered by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC): 1) a student scholarship to provide former foster youth with financial assistance beyond other state, federal, private, and institutional financial aid for which they are eligible, 2) campus incentive funding to postsecondary institutions that designate campus support staff and take other steps to recruit and retain former foster youth, and 3) a partnership with the College Success Foundation to provide additional student intervention and retention services to foster youth and training and technical assistance to campus staff.
Washington State Achievement Council will determine eligibility for this funding source. Program services, eligibility criteria and the application process are outlined at the following website.