Manor College has recently been selected for the second cohort of the Foster Care to College Program through The Field Center.  The objective of this program is to help make the process of transitioning to college life as seamless as possible for students who are aging out of the foster care system.  According to research from The Field Center, while 70% of foster youth strive to go to college, they attend at half the rate of their peers. Additionally, most who do attend, do not make it longer than one year.  The Field Center aims to make higher education more attainable for these youth leaving the foster care system.

Manor College is among several other schools including Chestnut Hill College, Montgomery County Community College, Penn State Abington that have been selected as the second cohort to develop programs for foster youth.  

Dean of Students, Allison Mootz, stated, “We envision our campus program to be a supportive and safe environment for students to access higher education with the correct support the individual needs.  We provide resources to basic needs such as food and housing through our on-campus food pantry and Residence Hall. We give students the tools they need to succeed as educated adults. On campus events and co-curricular events such as, our ‘Adulting’ series teach students skills such as living with a roommate, microwave meal recipes, time management, basic mechanics, financial planning and social media etiquette.”

Manor College is grateful for the grant and looks forward to being able to provide support to foster youth.  The College will receive on-site support, consultation and technical assistance in the development of this program.