Vol. 13, No. 1• November 2008

Graduate College Debt-Free wtih NC Reach

by Amanda Elder

In 2007, North Carolina launched a wonderful new program for foster and adopted youth in college. The only program of its kind in the country, NC Reach is testament to our state’s commitment to the future of all its citizens. NC Reach provides college funding and support services to young people adopted from North Carolina DSS foster care after the age of 12 or who have aged out of the system at 18. Thanks to NC Reach, these students will be able to graduate debt free from any North Carolina public community college or four-year school!

Betsy Sioussat, whose two adopted children participate in the program, is effusive in her praise: “Although we would have found a way to send our children to college no matter what, it gives me great peace of mind to know that they are part of such a generous and comprehensive program.” Her children have to work fewer hours than they anticipated because their tuition and books are covered, and they can take advantage of NC Reach’s workshops and mentoring.

Administered by the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA), NC Reach provides a whole system of financial, academic, and personal support. Because program participants include both foster and adopted youth, the level of support can vary. Some students benefit primarily from the financial aspect; parents who adopt teenagers do not have the time to put aside college funding but can encourage their children emotionally and academically. Other young people leave the system virtually alone, and NC Reach works closely with them to help them develop independence, sound academic and personal choices, and fiscal responsibility.

vMentor
NC Reach’s online mentors (vMentors) provide personal, one-on-one, long-term support and guidance. Every student is matched with a mentor based on professional and academic interests as well as according to hobbies, cultural background, and even spiritual attitudes. Says UNC-Wilmington alumna Jessica, who had an online mentor through OFA’s own scholarship program, “I wasn’t even sure I wanted a mentor, but looking back I know I couldn’t have managed without her advice and encouragement. When I met her in person at my graduation, it was like seeing a long-lost friend!”

Care Packages
NC Reach students are automatically enrolled in OFA’s Care Package Program, receiving three care packages a year, including a signature hand-made red scarf around Valentine’s Day. These packages are a potent reminder that our foster youth are part of a much wider community, which cares about and encourages their hopes and dreams.

Workshops
NC Reach offers workshops on a wide array of useful and interesting subjects, including, “Balancing Work and School,” “How to Buy a Car,” and “Daycare Choices.” NC Reach students must attend one workshop every semester, although they are encouraged to participate in as many as they want.

InternAmerica
NC Reach’s InternAmerica Program places summer interns in businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies across North Carolina and in Washington, D.C. Interns receive professional coaching and attend professional development seminars. They are supported with stipends and, if their internship is out-of-state, with transportation and housing.

Academic Success Program
It was written into the legislation creating NC Reach that participants must be “making good academic progress.” Therefore, students have to maintain a 2.0 GPA on a 4-point scale. Recognizing that some semesters are more trying than others and that life’s circumstances sometimes get in the way of academics, NC Reach believes in giving every student a second chance. The Academic Success Program provides study guides, advice, and weekly encouragement from a personal academic coach, as well as special support from the student’s vMentor, to any participant who falls below a 2.0 GPA. Any student who makes below a 2.0 GPA two semesters in a row is suspended from NC Reach funding for one full year.

NC Reach is nurturing a new generation of upstanding, contributing members of society. NC Reach works to ensure that students not only attend school, but graduate with degrees that enable them to get good jobs. Innovative and far-reaching, NC Reach may be the harbinger of similar programs in other states.

As Blue Ridge Community College student Joseph said, “NC Reach has opened my eyes to possibilities I never even dreamed of. I now have faith in my own future and know that with support I’ll succeed no matter what obstacles I have to overcome.”

NC Reach: Eligibilty, Funding, and Benefits Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirements • Applicants must have aged out of North Carolina’s DSS foster care system at age 18 or have been adopted from the system after the age of 12. • Applicants must be considered residents of North Carolina for tuition purposes. • Applicants must attend a North Carolina state university or community college. For a list of eligible schools, visit www.northcarolina.edu. • Participants must maintain a 2.0 GPA on a four-point scale and be making “satisfactory progress” towards a degree. Funding Process NC Reach funding is “last dollar,” up to the full cost of attendance at the student’s school. The following are applied before NC Reach funds are awarded: Pell Grants, Education and Training Voucher (ETV) funding, federal work study, private grants and scholarships. Benefits Funding. Graduate debt-free from a community college or four-year public school. Mentoring. Be matched with a volunteer online mentor (vMentor) based on professional/academic/personal interests and goals. Workshops. You must attend at least one workshop every semester. Topics relate to school, work, and home life. Academic Support. Participants are coached by mentors, NC Reach staff; if they fall below a 2.0 GPA they are enrolled in a program for intensive academic support. Internships. Participants are eligible for paid, supported summer internships across NC and in Washington DC. Care Packages. Receive three care packages a year, including the signature Red Scarf Valentine’s Day package. Administrative support. Participants are supported by NC Reach’s highly trained administrative staff, who help guide them from incoming freshman to graduating senior.

For further information or to enroll, visit www.ncreach.org or contact Amanda Elder, NC Reach Program Manager, at 1-800-585-6112 or [email protected].

Copyright � 2008 Jordan Institute for Families