Emancipated, foster care and independent City College students have a new guardian.
The Guardian club at City College is helping former foster care children and independent students succeed academically and in the real world.
“We want a presence on campus,” Financial Aid and Foster Youth Advisor Wendy Macgregor said.
The club serves as a support group for 30 emancipated and independent students.
According to law, when children in the foster care system turn 18, or “age out,” they are emancipated and enter adulthood without the support of a family. Because of this, many do not receive a higher education.
“Awareness is the first place,” Macgregor said. “Encourage kids to enquire and to support each other emotionally.”
The club meets weekly with students and keeps in touch through a Myspace page. The launch of the club had independent youth in mind, especially those who do not have parents in their lives, Macgregor said.
The “ultimate goal” of the club, Macgregor said, is to achieve a Guardian Scholars program that would offer specific scholarships, financial assistance for books, supplies and housing.
The first step to attaining the Scholars Program is the conference held on May 2 in Santa Barbara. Sponsored by Financial Aid, the conference “a networking opportunity” will promote foster youth initiatives and raise money, Macgregor said.
Two hundred guests are expected to attend the conference, including Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum and other dignitaries.
The club not only helps students with academic issues, but it also brings “other people with similar circumstances” together, Viola Arauza, a former foster youth said.
Macgregor does not only counsel but “actually cares” and nurtures students with “motivation,” Arauza explained.
Other than foster youth, the club supports independent students such as Ashley Marquez who was declared independent at the age of 16.
“It’s hard,” Marquez said. “I’m taking 15.5 units and working two jobs.”
According to given statistics, 40 percent of youth will become homeless in the first year of emancipation.
Money for housing is a crucial issue to Macgregor and students.
“Our main goal is to create funds for homelessness,” Macgregor said. “We have to come together to solve these issues.”
In 2004, nearly 86,000 foster children were recorded to live in California, and 2,000 of them left the system on their 18th birthday. “That was 2004, it’s only become worse,” Macgregor added.
Many emancipated and independent students do not know the financial aid options available to them. A basic part of filling out a FAFSA application requires a student to include parent or guardian financial information.
However, “kids on campus do not know they can fill out FAFSA without their parents information,” Macgregor said.
Dependency override request forms are available to students with extreme circumstances that prohibit the financial assistance of a student’s parent or guardian.
With only 10 percent of foster youth enrolling in college and one percent actually graduating, City College is working to fashion a better future for all independent students.
