Another Target Audience For Tennessee Promise: Foster Kids

More than 57,000 high school seniors have signed up for free community college so far, with applications closing Monday at midnight. In Tennessee Promise’s second year, one state agency hopes the popularity of the program will rub off on foster kids, a segment of the population that often struggles with continuing their education.

Ryan Branco has bounced around group homes and foster care since he was 15. Now he’s 18 and hopes to attend Nashville State Community College, but he’s been worried about finances. A
 case worker from the Department of Children’s Services pushed him to sign up, he says.

“I was kind of having difficulty on trying to find a way to pay for it,” he says. “I realized that Tennessee Promise would be the best way to go.”

DCS
isn’t keeping track of how many foster kids take advantage of the scholarship, but it does track how many receive other state scholarships to go to college. That number increased last year, and Michael Leach, who oversees independent living services for DCS, thinks the first year of Tennessee Promise contributed to the boost — even for students who didn’t directly participate in the program.

“Some of the most vulnerable are hearing about college, and people are talking to them about, ‘We believe in you, and you can go to college,’ ” he says.

Even though many former foster children are eligible for other scholarships, DCS is still asking foster parents and front-line workers to encourage them to sign up specifically for Tennessee Promise. The financial benefit is secondary, Leach says: He’s more interested in the fact that the program pairs students with community mentors — a support system.

“We know that with kids aging out of foster care, the best predictor of success is a connected, caring adult,” he says.

Branco says he thinks the mentor component will provide valuable support. “I’ve never really had a mentor before, but I am looking forward to it.”

In a recent DCS report, the agency recommends training Tennessee Promise mentors specifically to work with former foster kids, who may require extra attention. Mike Krause, the program’s director, says he hasn’t been approached about it yet, but it’s something he’s interested in pursuing.