Educational Attainment of Youth Aging Out of Care

Youth aging out of foster care have lower rates of high school graduation or obtaining a GED, college attendance, and success in college compared to young adults in the general population (Courtney et al., 2011; Frerer et al., 2013; Geiger & Beltran, 2017a; Häggman-Laitila et al., 2019; Pecora et al., 2006; White et al., 2012a, 2015). This chapter reviews research on high school graduation rates and college success among youth aging out of care. Research indicates factors influencing educational outcomes among foster youth include foster care characteristics, demographic factors, school factors, and justice involvement among this population is also reviewed. Former foster youth are less likely to attend college compared to the general population and when they do, they have lower graduation rates compared to their counterparts. Research on this population of undergraduates highlights factors contributing to their college success as well as obstacles that inhibit it.