A report we released in February 2024 found that foster youth at SUNY who received funding from the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) tended to reenroll after their first year of college at higher rates than their peers; they also tended to post higher graduation rates for associate degrees and, after six years, bachelor’s degrees. This episode of Policy Outsider goes beyond the numbers to hear from an FYCSI award recipient and an FYCSI advocate how this funding can change the trajectory of students' lives.

Guests

• Tanajah Malachi, Licensed Master Social Worker, FYCSI Award Recipient
• Deidra Nesbeth, Director, Fostering Youth Success Alliance
• Brian Backstrom, Director of Education Policy Studies, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Learn More

• Fostering Success at SUNY: Financial Support through the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (report)
• New York State Education Department – Foster Youth College Success Initiative