Loyalist College has announced an $80,000 fund to assist 16 individuals with tuition who or currently or have been in extended society care. The fund will be used to remove financial barriers, so individuals can access post-secondary education and obtain credentials.
Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, Loyalist College President and CEO was joined on campus Thursday by MPP Todd Smith, Jane Kovarikova, the founder of Child Welfare PAC, and Tami Callahan the executive director of Highland Shores Children’s Aid.
Last year, Vaughan said they had 16 students who had self-identified as being in the extended care system.
“Sadly we know that for every student, every current or former youth in extended society care who enrolls, there are so many more for who the challenges to apply to Loyalist are insurmountable,” said Vaughan.
Former Loyalist grad, MPP Todd Smith, was reportedly the “matchmaker” between the College and the Child Welfare PAC. He said that there is no government money involved with this initiative.
The Child Welfare Political Action Community is designed to assist youth in care or who have been in care, to get access to post-secondary education.
A journey that Jane Kovarikova knows first hand, as she was in foster care from the age of 6 to 16, before dropping out of high school. She said that her biological grandfather reached out, and assisted her with her undergraduate tuition.
She said that there are roughly 1,000 youth in Ontario that age out of care each year.
In referencing American studies, she noted that roughly 600 youth in care end up dropping out of high school. “Of those 400 who are qualified, only 20% will attempt post-secondary.”
“We need to level the playing field for people who grew up in care, by providing them tuition waivers over the course of their lifetime,” said Kovarikova.
Loyalist College will join Georgian College and Laurentian University with providing tuition waivers.
Child Welfare PAC will continue to negotiate with more post-secondary institutions.
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