Board of Regents Receive NSHE Foster Youth Success Initiative Update

The Board of Regents received an update on the Nevada System of Higher Education’s (NSHE) system-wide Foster Youth Success Initiative, which has helped more than 70 NSHE students with tuition assistance or other services.

“I’m very proud of the early success of this initiative and I look forward to seeing it grow in the future. These students need our help and I’m glad we are able to provide it,” said NSHE Chancellor Thom Reilly.

The primary mission of the NSHE Foster Youth Success Initiative is to help recruit, support, and retain students who have been dependents of the child welfare system.

In support of the initiative, NSHE received a $200,000 grant from the Walter S. Johnson Foundation, the NSHE Foster Youth Fee Waiver, and hired a Foster Youth Ambassador – Laura Obrist. The Foundation has asked the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Truckee Meadows Community College to apply for grants in support of their foster students.

Meanwhile, Obrist is assisting all NSHE degree-granting institutions with implementing and designing campus-based support services that will aid foster youth in enrolling and succeeding in college.

Plus, NSHE is also working with Clark County to address housing issues among foster and homeless students.

Board of Regent’s Chair Jason Geddes said, “This initiative is off to a fantastic start. It provides a way out for youth who have face tremendous challenges and hardship, through no fault of their own. Yes, this is a small population of students, but they are the ones who have the most need.”

As the initiative grows, NSHE plans to create a statewide learning community, build a comprehensive post-secondary support system for foster youth, and develop effective post-secondary transition strategies that will expand foster youth-serving systems’ capacity to support college-planning activities and create stronger career pathways for foster youth.

The Foster Youth Success Initiative Website can be found at: https://nshe.nevada.edu/initiatives/foster-youth/