College Scholarships for Adopted Children

Searching for college scholarships for adopted children can be overwhelming; however, there are a good number of resources specifically meant for students in this situation.

Basically, adoption entails a lot of decision making. For most foster parents, education can be a huge burden in their finances and often this becomes a major issue. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, over half a million of foster and adopted children in United States consider college education as an insurmountable challenge. Thankfully, there are lots of monetary help available for this special population. There are different college scholarships for adopted children offered by the state and other private organizations. These grants and scholarships are rather uncommon hence students need to be patient in searching and applying

Scholarships From Private Organizations

Among the private organizations that advocate education for foster youth and adopted, the Orphan Foundation of America Scholarship Program is the most notable. Intended for students who were adopted or were once in the foster care system, this scholarship program offers financial help for students who want to pursue higher education. To apply, students need to complete an online application form including other supplemental materials. Additionally, students need to prepare necessary adoption or foster care documents for verification purposes. This college scholarship for adopted children has graduated hundreds of student over the past years. 

Similarly, the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) provides a comprehensive scholarship program. Included in the organization’s major thrusts are the scholarship programs designed to help foster students complete their education. Scholarships and grants offered by NFPA extend beyond their high school years and beneficiaries are given the opportunity to choose their career paths as well as the college or university they want to attend. To be eligible, applicants must present to NFPA the cost information of the educational institution they plan to enroll in. Applicants need to complete the application form available online and write a short essay on a given topic. Generally, NFPA funding varies depending on the course the student wants to pursue.

The Casey Family Scholars Scholarship is also a good resource for students looking for college scholarships for adopted children. Although specially designed for foster children, this scholarship program has been providing school scholarships for former foster youth. Casey Family Scholarships is open to students under age 25 and awards $10,000 worth of financial aid. The scholarship program helps students overcome financial barriers in education.

Another organization that offers annual school scholarship is the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) scholarship. The foundation awards scholarships worth $500 to $5000 for both current and former foster youths who want to further their education through vocational or academic training. This scholarship is open for foster youth under age 25 and has a cumulative high school GPA of 2.0. 

Scholarships From The Federal Government

Currently, government-funded college scholarships for adopted children are not available nationwide. However, there are a good number of states that offer Tuition Waiver for adopted children and former foster youth. The amount of financial aid awarded by each state may vary depending on the state’s budgetary allowance on their foster care system. Eligibility requirements also differ by state. Typically, these scholarships apply exclusively on in-state colleges or universities. Here is a list of some states offering Tuition Waiver for adopted children…

Florida

The US state of Florida exempts adopted children or children who are in foster youth from all undergraduate expenses such as laboratory fees, matriculation and registration associated with college enrollment. This tuition waiver is presently available on state-run colleges and universities. For almost 14 years, this program has helped thousands of students earn higher education.

Kentucky

Adopted children and Kentucky foster enjoy free education from any public postsecondary institution. This college scholarship program for adopted children covers all four years of college education for full-time students.

Maine

Tuition waiver is limited to adopted children who are currently or formerly received adoption assistance. Student must be under age 21 during application.

Maryland

Full college tuition waiver is available for students adopted from foster care after 14 years of age.

Other states with tuition waiver include Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. The following states offer conditional tuition waiver for adopted children: Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, and West Virginia. These American scholarships are certainly helpful for single moms raising an adopted child. Take note, however, that these each state follows different rules with regards to Tuition Waiver.

To help you with your search for college scholarships for adopted children, you can check with your state’s foster care office or through state websites for necessary details. You can also check with your college or university’s financial aid office for these scholarship programs. Do not be disheartened if you don’t qualify or your state does not offer this scholarship program. There are still thousands of unusual scholarships out there such as college bowling scholarships which you have rarely heard of before.