College & Career Center » Foster Youth & Financial Aid

Foster Youth & Financial Aid

If you are or were in foster care and have financial need, you may qualify for up to $5,000 a year for career and technical training or college. You don’t have to pay this money back. You may also be able to use your grant to help pay for child care, transportation and rent while you’re in school. You can use your Chafee Grant at any eligible California college or university or career or technical school, as well as schools in other states.

To qualify, you must be a current or former foster youth and not have reached your 22nd birthday as of July 1 of the award year. The court must have established your dependency when you were between the ages of 16 and 18. (KinGap youth, adopted youth, guardian placement, and voluntary placement may not be eligible for the Chafee Grant, unless court dependence was established, at anytime, between the ages of 16 and 18). The California Department of Social Services will verify your foster youth eligibility status.

The Chafee Grant (ETV) is federal and state funded with a current minimum Chafee Grant amount of $5,000 per academic year, not to exceed cost of attendance. The final award amount will be determined based on the college of attendance and enrollment status.

To complete Chafee Grant application requirements, in addition to verification of qualifying foster youth status, the following forms must be submitted: Chafee Grant Application, the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), and Chafee Need Analysis Report (NAR)*.

Visit: https://www.chafee.csac.ca.gov/StudentApplication.aspx