Pursuing a post-secondary education can be a gruelling and expensive venture – especially for youth who don’t have a supportive family to fall back on as they chase their career aspirations.
This is the main inspiration behind the “Youth Futures Education Fund” (YFEF), which will be disbursing $600,000 to former youth in care pursuing post-secondary studies across the province this year, thanks to United Way British Columbia donors and the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training.
At age 19, youth “age out” out of government care – meaning, they lose the support from their foster parents, social workers, government programs and any financial assistance they had been receiving previously.
For Kwantlen Polytechnic University student Elycia Thomas, who is in the last year of her Criminology degree, the fund is currently helping to support her while she completes a 35-hours-a-week unpaid practicum.
“It doesn’t leave me a lot of time to work at my regular jobs, so the grant has helped me a lot with groceries, bills, textbooks,” says Thomas. “This fund gives us an equal opportunity that other students have to get an education. I think, without this, it would be a lot harder for us to get the same opportunity that other students have.”
The YFEF has helped to support her through the past two years of her degree, and she wants other former youth in care to know that there are resources and supports available to them, even if it initially feels like they’re alone in their pursuits.
“I think students need to take advantage of that. KPU has a lot of resources – the tuition waiver, this grant, other emergency funds that I’ve been given an opportunity to have. I think the student needs to take it in their hands. If they really want it, to receive an education, there are so many resources available for them,” says Thomas.
“I want to let former youth in care know to take advantage of opportunities and to not be scared to ask for help.”
Thomas wants to thank the university for the support that they’ve offered her throughout her degree, including informing her about the YFEF.
“Every year in B.C., about 850 youth age out of government care [at 19]. Only 17 per cent of B.C. youth who have been in government care make it to post-secondary within three years of high school graduation, compared to 48 per cent of other youth. Much of this is due to a lack of support,” said Kim Winchell, provincial director of community impact and investment at United Way B.C.
In 2021, the YFEF dispersed funds to 33 KPU students among with 23 other post-secondary institutions.
The Youth Futures Education Fund was established by Coast Capital, the province of British Columbia and the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth. It is guided by an advisory committee, held at the Vancouver Foundation, and administered by United Way B.C.
If you’re interested in donating to the YFEF, visit https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/youthfutures
