FAQ

NEW YORK STATE SUPPORTS FOSTER YOUTH ATTENDING COLLEGE

 

WHAT IS IT?

  • The Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) is a new program specifically for foster youth who are either already in college or about to enter college designed to provide them with the necessary supports and financial assistance to help them achieve academic success and meet college expenses.

 

WHAT DO STUDENTS NEED TO DO?

  • Eligible students who are applying for or making their college selection to enter their freshman year of college in New York State should immediately contact the College Opportunity Program offices to get more information.
  • Eligible students include any student that was in foster care at any time after their 13th birthday. They are eligible to receive funding provided the student attends a public or private college or university in New York State that operates an Opportunity Program and participates in FYCSI.
  • Students interested in services or determining their eligibility should do the following:
    • CUNY Students or Applicants:
      Contact Shirley DePena, Director of Youth Matters
      Shirley.depena@cuny.edu or (646) 477-8570
    • SUNY Students or Applicants:
      Contact the EOP offices at the campus you are attending or have applied to for Fall 2016. (If you applied to multiple programs, please contact each campus directly.)
      Click here for a list of SUNY contacts by campus.
    • Private Colleges and Universities Students or Applicants:
      Contact the HEOP offices at the campus you are attending or have applied to for Fall 2016. (If you applied to multiple programs, please contact each campus directly.)
      Click here for a list of participating private colleges and contact information.

 

THE HISTORY OF FYCSI

  • The program was first established in 2015 when the state invested $1.5 million in 2015-16 budget and helped 352 students who are or were in the foster care system attend 68 colleges at SUNY, CUNY, and private colleges and universities throughout New York State.
  • The enacted 2016-17 New York State budget includes $3 million to continue supporting the students identified last year and support additional students in the 2016-17 academic year.
  • FYCSI provides the support services students need, including but not limited to  the costs of:
    • Tuition and fees
    • Books
    • Transportation
    • Housing
    • Other essential supports on campus

 

WHY FYCSI IS IMPORTANT?

  • Research and experience has demonstrated that foster youth face challenges that create barriers to their college success.
  • As a result, FYCSI was established to assist foster youth to successfully transition to and graduate from college by providing essential support services and financial assistance that makes it possible for them to attend college and successfully graduate.

 

HOW FYCSI WORKS?

  • FYCSI works through New York’s Opportunity Programs:
    • Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at SUNY colleges
    • College Discovery (CD) & Search for Education Elevation Knowledge (SEEK)  at CUNY colleges
    • Higher Educational Opportunity Program (HEOP) at private colleges and universities
  • Because not all colleges and universities operate opportunity programs, eligible students should check to ensure that the college they want to attend has an opportunity program AND is participating in FYCSI.

 

**BASED ON PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS, ELIGIBLE STUDENTS MUST INDICATE THEIR DESIRE TO ACCESS FYCSI AT THE TIME OF THEIR APPLICATION AND/OR ADMISSION.

 For additional information or questions relating to the statewide policy that establishes the FYCSI, please contact: Jessica Maxwell, (212)381-1194 or jmaxwell@childrensaidsociety.org.