NSHE’s Foster Youth Fee Waiver Program Sees Continued Growth

Participation in the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Foster Youth Fee Waiver Program, which waives course registration and laboratory fees for students who have experienced foster care, has grown by more than 135 percent since its creation three years ago.

The Board of Regents’ Academic, Research and Student Affairs (ARSA) Committee received an update on the program during its quarterly meeting Thursday that showed an increase from 38 students during the 2018-2019 academic year to 90 students during the 2020-2021 academic year.

“We are grateful for the support of the Board of Regents.  The more we promote greater access and success for these students, the more we equip them with what they will need for a brighter future,” Foster Youth Ambassador Laura Obrist said.

In September 2018, NSHE launched the Foster Youth Success Initiative when the Nevada Board of Regents unanimously approved the Foster Youth Fee Waiver. The fee waiver policy permits qualifying NSHE undergraduate students to register without being charged registration or certain laboratory fees, increasing access to college for certain students who have experienced foster care.

“This initiative continues to have a powerful impact on youth who face tremendous challenges and hardship, through no fault of their own,” Regent and ARSA committee chair Jason Geddes said. “Without this support, many of these students may not have had the opportunity to pursue higher education at all. I am incredibly proud of the work being done by this program and I look forward to learning more about its continued success.”

As it moves forward, the program is developing campus-based wraparound support services for NSHE students who have experienced foster care, in order to improve the secondary-to-higher-education pipeline.