PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterEd) Program FAQ

General Information

WHAT IS THE FOSTERED PROGRAM?
FosterEd was established by the PA Legislature to help foster care youth with the financial challenges of accessing higher education. The program offers eligible students up to age 26 a tuition waiver for undergraduate studies at most colleges and universities in the Commonwealth.
WHAT IS A FOSTERED WAIVER?
PA institutions of higher education must waive the remaining balance of eligible students' tuition and mandatory fees after federal and state grants and outside scholarships have been applied.
FOR HOW MANY TERMS CAN A STUDENT RECEIVE A WAIVER?
Students may receive FosterEd waivers for up to 5 years, equal to 10 semesters or the equivalent, whether consecutive or not. Waivers can apply to all terms: fall, winter, spring, or summer.
If a student has covered their balance via alternate means (for example, out of pocket, loans, etc.) the school must refund any funds received from the student for tuition and mandatory fees back to the student's account within 30 days of the student's name appearing on the FosterEd Waiver Listing.
WHAT FEES ARE CONSIDERED MANDATORY?
Mandatory fees are defined as charges typically assessed to all students at the beginning of a term, or fees that are required as a part of a student's academic program or credential completion. For a list of mandatory fees, refer to the Waiver Certification section of the FosterEd Program Guidelines.
WE ARE NOT A STATE OR STATE-RELATED SCHOOL. ARE WE REQUIRED TO WAIVE A STUDENT'S REMAINING BALANCE?
Postsecondary institutions in PA approved by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV funding must provide the waiver to all eligible students. The legislation governing this program is very specific regarding the postsecondary institutions that must participate. Consult your legal department if you have questions regarding your institution's participation.

Back to Top

Point of Contact (POC)

IS THE POC REQUIRED TO HAVE ANY SPECIFIC TRAINING OR BACKGROUND?
The POC should be knowledgeable about financial aid and admissions processes, be able to connect students to on and off-campus resources, and be available to provide support advocacy for the student. No specific training is required.
WHAT VERIFICATION OF STUDENT ELIGIBILITY IS NEEDED FROM THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM?

Student eligibility is verified by the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) as part of Chafee Education and Training Grant (Chafee ETG) Program application processing.

A student may self-identify to the POC and request assistance in confirming eligibility. A student can also be identified via a FosterEd Denial Listing from PHEAA as pending confirmation of eligibility. If so, the POC must assist the student in contacting DHS to help them confirm eligibility. See the Point of Contact section in the FosterEd Program Guidelines for more information.

ARE ANY RESOURCES OR TRAININGS AVAILABLE FOR THE POC?
Yes. We are collaborating with stakeholders to conduct trainings and share resources. You can find our training resources at pheaa.org/training.
WHAT TYPE OF SERVICES SHOULD BE OFFERED TO STUDENTS WHO IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS ELIGIBLE FOR THE WAIVER PROGRAM?

Students known to be eligible or who self-identify as eligible for services under FosterEd should be offered assistance with the following:

  • Completing the admission application
  • Completing all applicable financial aid applications—such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), Chafee ETG Program, PA State Grant Program, etc.
  • Identifying and applying for any other applicable scholarships or grants

Students should also be connected to on and off-campus resources and services, including food, housing, health and mental health care, tutoring, academic advising, career counseling, etc.

Chafee ETG aftercare services are available to youth who exit foster care prior to their 16th birthday (age 14 and 15) to reunification and youth who exit care after their 16th birthday—regardless of how they exit care, up to age 23. If POCs have questions or students desiring assistance, please contact Lindsey Glezen, PA IL Coordinator, at liglezen@pa.gov.

Back to Top

Student Eligibility

HOW WILL I KNOW THAT A STUDENT IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A FOSTERED WAIVER?

We provide a FosterEd Waiver Listing biweekly via PageCenterX. If a student appears on your waiver listing, PHEAA has already determined that the student meets foster care eligibility and the following requirements:

  • PA residency
  • Current academic year FAFSA completion
  • PA Chafee ETG Program application completion
  • Graduation from high school or in receipt of a Commonwealth Secondary School Diploma
  • Not reached age 26 by July 1 of the upcoming academic year
  • Not in default on a federal student loan and does not owe a refund on Title IV aid

In addition to the FosterEd Waiver Listing, institutions will also receive Chafee ETG and FosterEd Denial Listings. Denial listings should be used by the POC to identify and assist students in establishing eligibility for the FosterEd waiver.

IF PHEAA CHECKS THE STUDENT'S ELIGIBILITY UNDER PA'S JOHN H. CHAFEE FOSTER CARE PROGRAM, WHAT ARE THE POC'S RESPONSIBILITIES?
Legislation requires the POC to assist the student. We run an eligibility check against available records and provide this verification when possible. If foster care eligibility is not verified and the student appears on a denial listing for this reason, the POC must help the student contact the PA Department of Human Services by emailing liglezen@pa.gov.
WHAT DOES A STUDENT NEED TO DO TO RECEIVE THE WAIVER?
The Student Eligibility Requirements section of the FosterEd Program Guidelines outline these details. Students must meet eligibility criteria and complete the FAFSA and Chafee ETG application for the current year. View the Chafee ETG and FosterEd application.
IF THE STUDENT RECEIVES A WAIVER FOR THE UPCOMING ACADEMIC YEAR, IS THE CHAFEE ETG APPLICATION NEEDED FOR THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR?
No. If a student received ETG funds in the previous academic year, the student will be automatically renewed. The Chafee ETG application is not required for renewal students; however, all students must complete the FAFSA each year to receive the waiver.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A STUDENT DROPS DOWN TO LESS THAN HALF-TIME STATUS?

If a student drops to less than half-time status before charges are applied to their account, the student is no longer eligible for a waiver that term.

If a student drops to less than half-time after the waiver was applied, the waiver must remain in place. If the change results in adjustments to the student's charges and financial aid, the amount of the waiver must be increased or decreased to cover all remaining charges.

AFTER A WAIVER IS APPLIED, WILL A STUDENT EVER BE REQUIRED TO REPAY WAIVED CHARGES DUE TO WITHDRAWAL OR LOSS OF ELIGIBILITY?
No. A student is not required to repay a waiver.
CAN A STUDENT BE INELIGIBLE FOR CHAFEE ETG AND STILL APPEAR AS ELIGIBLE ON A WAIVER LISTING?
Yes. Students who miss the Chafee ETG application deadline may still be eligible for FosterEd and appear on the FosterEd Waiver Listing. Please contact us at fosterEd@pheaa.org for specific questions.
HOW SHOULD MY INSTITUTION HANDLE A TRANSFERING STUDENT?
The POC should immediately notify us of the student's intent to transfer by emailing fosterEd@pheaa.org. Please include the institution the student is transferring to, if known.
FOR WHAT COSTS CAN CHAFEE ETG FUNDS BE USED?
Chafee ETG funds can be used toward all costs of attendance, including housing and meals, books, computers, supplies, transportation, etc. Institutions may choose to apply Chafee ETG funds toward these costs rather than tuition and fees if the student is eligible for the FosterEd waiver.
A STUDENT WHO WISHES TO ATTEND MY INSTITUTION PROVIDED EVIDENCE OF CHAFEE ETG ELIGIBILITY IN ADVANCE OF PHEAA CONFIRMING ELIGIBILITY. HOW SHOULD OUR INSTITUTION PROCEED?
When verification of a student's foster care eligibility is provided to the institution, the institution should proceed with conditional aid packaging and preliminary crediting of FosterEd benefits toward the student's tuition and mandatory fees. Additionally, the POC is required to assist the student in applying for all federal and state aid for which the student is eligible.

Back to Top