CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE
STUDENT SERVICES AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIVISION
APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE
FOR
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES DISTRICTS
COOPERATING AGENCIES FOSTER YOUTH EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
PROGRAM
INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS
2015-16 Academic Year
ATP# 15-0026
APPLICATION DEADLINE: MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE
BY
5 P.M. ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Calendar of Key Dates
iii
Purpose of Application/Background
1
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program Application to Participate
Highlights
2
Instructions and Specifications
2
A.
Introduction
2
B.
Eligibility
2
C.
Category for Which Funding is Available
3
D.
Minimum Required Objectives
3
E.
Application Review and Selection Process
5
F.
Application Format and Instructions
5
(1)
Contact Page
6
(2)
Abstract
6
(3)
Table of Contents
6
(4)
Service Numbers
6
(5)
Statement of Experience
7
(6)
Program Design
8
(7)
Program Management, Staffing and Support
8
(8)
Anticipated Outcomes
 Sample Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Student and Program Outcomes
9
10
Project Budget Plan
11
(9)
(10) Submission Procedure
12
G.
Evaluations and Reports
13
H.
Rejection of Application
13
I.
Rubric/Scoring Criteria
 Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Scoring Criteria
13
14
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Application to Participate #15-0026
i
J.
Funding Conditions
15
K.
Application Scoring
18
L.
Notification of Selection
18
M.
Protest Procedure
18
Appendix A – Application Forms and Instructions
19
1.
Contact Page
20
2.
Signature Page
21
3.
Application Budget Plan Instructions
22
4.
Application Budget Plan Form
24
Appendix B – Additional Information
26
1.
Senate Bill 1023 (Chapter 771, Statutes of 2014)
27
2.
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program Expenditures
Guidelines
30
3.
Cal-PASS Plus: Accessing Institutional Foster Youth Data
33
4.
Getting to Good Foster Youth Student Data
34
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Application to Participate #15-0026
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CALENDAR OF KEY DATES
ACTION
Application to Participate for the California Community Colleges
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Applicants’ Webinar
Last Day to Submit Clarifying Questions
Deadline for Submitting Applications
Reading of Applications
DATE
August 28, 2015
September 8, 2015
September 18, 2015
October 9, 2015
October 13-14, 2015
Notification of Intent to Award Funds
October 16, 2015
Protest Deadline
October 23, 2015
Final approval by Board of Governors
November 17, 2015
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Application to Participate #15-0026
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California Community College Chancellor’s Office
Purpose of Application for Participation for the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support
Program
The 2015-16 State budget includes up to $15,000,000 to fund the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth
Educational Support (CAFYES) Program. CAFYES was established in 2014 by Senate Bill 1023 (Chapter 771,
Statutes of 2014), (see Appendix C). When enacting this bill, the Legislature found “it is necessary and
appropriate to take steps to encourage the enrollment, retention, and transfer of current and former
foster youth in California’s community colleges by establishing an education program that provides
services that promote their academic success. Providing academic support to current and former foster
youth in California’s community colleges serves a significant governmental and public interest, namely
the reduction in poverty and criminal justice involvement among youth who have been in foster care in
California.”
CCC districts are eligible to apply for this funding on behalf of their Extended Opportunity Programs and
Services (EOPS) programs to coordinate and direct the CAFYES funding. The allocations provided through
this Application to Participate (ATP) process are separate and apart from both existing EOPS funding and
funding for the Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education program. Funded activities shall include,
when appropriate, but not necessarily be limited to, outreach and recruitment, service coordination,
counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and financial literacy skills support,
frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, child care and transportation
assistance, referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, unmet need grants
and other related services.
The primary purpose of this ATP is to provide funding to up to ten CCC districts, creating college CAFYES
programs to provide targeted support to current and former foster youth under the umbrella of existing
EOPS programs. Successful districts will be notified of their first year’s funding in December 2015, with
the expectation that colleges will begin implementation in January 2016, ending the year on June 30,
2016. However, it is anticipated that funding will be available on an ongoing basis, barring reductions by
the Legislature in a future budget cycle. Consequently, applicants are asked to provide a three year
implementation strategy in their applications.
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Application to Participate #15-0026
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Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Application To Participate Highlights
ATP Specification Number:
15-0026
ATP Title:
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Program Division:
Division Vice Chancellor:
Division Dean:
Program Staff Contacts:
Student Services
Denise F. Noldon
Sarah Tyson
Janet Fulton and Kelly Gornik
Initial Funding Period:
Funding Source:
2015-16 Academic Year
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
Total Funding Available:
Required Match:
Up to $15,000,000
No match required
Eligible Applicants:
Districts are eligible to apply on behalf of their college Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services programs. Districts may apply
on behalf of multiple of their colleges. Only one allocation per
district will be awarded; however the allocation can cover multiple
colleges within that district.
Number of Awards:
Ten (10)
Instructions and Specifications
A.
Introduction
This document contains general instructions, procedures, formats, and timelines for submitting an Application
to Participate (ATP) for the Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support (CAFYES) program to the
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO).
Applications must be submitted using the format and sequence described in these instructions and must
address the application specifications.
Applicants must articulate plans through 2017-18 in anticipation of continued funding, although the initial award
is solely through 2015-16.
B.
Eligibility
Districts must agree to the following standards and conditions to be eligible to apply:
●
Community college districts will be allowed to submit only one application; however, a single application
may include multiple colleges within the district.
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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●
C.
Selected participants will use funding to support their Extended Opportunity Programs and Services
(EOPS) programs to coordinate and direct services for current and former foster youth in California:
▪ Whose dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the youth’s 16th
birthday,
▪ Who are no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of any academic year in which he
or she participates in the program, and
▪ Who are enrolled in at least nine (9) college semester credits during the semester in which they
enter the program.
Category for Which Funding is Available
Specification
Number
Specification Title
15-0026
Cooperating Agencies Foster
Youth Educational Support
Program
Number of
Awards
Available
Funds Available
Per Award
Initial
Term of Funding
Up to ten (10)
$3,000 to
$5,000 per
eligible student
served
2015-16
Academic Year
The CCCCO retains sole discretion in awarding these funds. Up to $15 million will be disbursed as a new
categorical apportionment for those districts that submit applications and are awarded funds to enhance and
strengthen services to the eligible target population. The program is funded for 2015-16 and initial awards will
be made for only 2015-16. However, the Chancellor’s Office is asking for budget plans through 2017-18 in
anticipation of continued funding.
All awards granted through this ATP will be subject to final approval by the CCCCO and the Board of Governors.
Districts that propose to serve the largest number of foster youth will receive priority for program funds.
However, other factors will also be considered during the awards process. This includes geographic diversity,
successful history of serving the target population, quality of program design, the breadth and strength of
internal and external partnerships, and plans to leverage other funding, such as Student Equity, other
categorical, district, and external funds. The strongest applications will be those that depict sound plans to
expand and maximize existing activities and collaborations to serve eligible current and former foster youth. The
CCCCO also reserves the right, after district selection, to negotiate requested award amounts, budget items and
amounts, and proposed activities to ensure that the overarching goals of the program are met and that
proposed scopes of work are realistic and achievable within the funding period.
D.
Minimum Required Objectives
This goal of this funding is to encourage the enrollment, retention, and transfer of current and former foster
youth, as outlined in Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, by expanding and strengthening the capacity of EOPS programs to
support the higher education success of eligible students. Its ultimate objective is to ensure more current and
former foster youth attending California Community Colleges earn a certificate, degree and/or prepare for
transfer to a four-year institution. CCCCO expects districts and college EOPS programs to develop
comprehensive and coordinated sets of services and programs that involve internal and external community
partnerships, identifying and addressing barriers--including health and well-being--to the academic success of
current and former foster youth. To this end, the CCCCO is seeking applications from community college districts
to expand and enhance the capacity of their EOPS programs to serve eligible current and former foster youth
through college and community partnerships that will:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identify eligible students at the participating colleges and conduct ongoing review and assessment of
their needs and strengths,
Create a coordinated and comprehensive program of services to address the needs of students who
are current and former foster youth, as suggested by available data,
Consider how best to leverage external support, such as provided through Extended Foster Care and
other programs, and internal support through other categorical programs, to avoid service duplication
and supplanting,
Engage and involve other college programs that work with foster youth and are professionally
connected to systems that support foster youth,
Build and maintain collaborative partnerships with both internal and external partners provide services and
supports to CAFYES participants based identified needs, and
Evaluate and monitor program services, partnerships, and program and student outcomes, to inform any
necessary program redesign, and ensure participants are completing key benchmarks associated with longterm academic success (e.g., course completion, term-to-term persistence).
Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, highlights the following activities as examples of the types of services to be offered (see
Appendix B.1. for more details about required and allowable activities):
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Outreach and recruitment,
Service coordination,
Counseling,
Book and supply grants,
Tutoring,
Independent living and financial literacy skills support,
Frequent in-person contact,
Career guidance,
Transfer counseling,
Child care and transportation assistance, and
Referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other related
services
Important aspects of the CAFYES program are to navigate providing services to students already receiving similar
services, in order to supplement and not supplant those services, strengthen and expand partnerships, and build
upon existing successful models and programs for sharing and replication across the community college system.
CAFYES is designed to support collaboration with both internal college partners (e.g., other categorical programs
and other programs that serve foster youth), and external partners (e.g., county health and human services
agencies, county probation, Independent Living Programs, non-profit organizations, etc.) to meet identified
needs of CAFYES participants.
Throughout the funding period, provisions should be made to use available data to identify, monitor and inform
program development and ongoing implementation to ensure services are effectively supporting the target
population and linking participants to services in the community that will support them to complete a
postsecondary education.
Also, selected districts / colleges must participate in a minimum of three (3) program-related statewide
meetings and professional development opportunities to be held in Sacramento. Travel and personnel time to
participate in these meetings should be included in the ATP.
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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E.
Application Review and Selection Process
Steps in the evaluation and selection of applications submitted for consideration are as follows:
1. The CCCCO will do a preliminary program review in response to the specific minimum
requirements for submission as outlined in Section F.(10), in relation to: (1) application format; (2)
mandatory signatures; and (3) number of copies. Failure to comply with the specific minimum
requirements may be grounds for automatic rejection of an application.
2. Applications will be reviewed and scored by review panels consisting of one EOPS representative
(from a non-applicant district), one Foster Youth Success Initiative representative (from a nonapplicant district), one CCCCO staff member and one community representative.
3. Application components will be scored as noted in Section I.
4. District Superintendent/Chancellors will be notified if their district’s application is selected for
allocation. Public notification of selected districts will be posted on the CCCCO website after the
Board of Governors’ approval is received.
F.
Application Format and Instructions
The following instructions prescribe the format and sequence for the development and presentation of
the application. All questions must be answered and all requested data must be supplied. All narrative
portions of the application should be in 12 point, Calibri font, double line-spaced, and with a minimum 1inch margin. There is a one-page application contact page.
Applications may be submitted by any CCC district, but only one application may be completed per
district. Multi-college districts may apply for program implementation at more than one college within
their district. This may include all colleges within the district or only a subset of the colleges. Applicants
are encouraged to include as many colleges as possible in the application in order to maximize the reach
of the program. As the number of students to be served is a significant factor in the scoring criteria, multicollege districts that include all colleges in their applications will score more competitively.
Districts submitting an application that encompasses multiple colleges should do so using a single
narrative; however, the information requested for each application question must reflect each individual
college separately. If the activities are the same at multiple colleges, this may be incorporated by
reference and does not need to be repeated (e.g., the proposed strategies, services and activities for
College B will be the same as those described for College A above). It is also acceptable if the responses
provided differ by college based on the individual needs of each college. In this case, separate narratives
should be provided for each section. An example for the first application question is provided below.
Example:
SERVICE NUMBERS
College A
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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The anticipated number of eligible foster youth to be served is…, etc.
College B
The anticipated number of eligible foster youth to be served is…, etc.
etc.
When submitting for multiple colleges, districts may exceed the page limit in direct proportion to the
number of colleges included in the application (e.g., if the page limit for a section is two pages and the
district is applying on behalf of three colleges, the page limit for that section is six pages).
When submitting an application, an applicant must follow the application format. Failure to follow the
format may result in the rejection of the application. The application format is as follows:
(1) Contact Page
Use form in Appendix A
Complete the CONTACT PAGE by: (1) indicating the district (along with the associated colleges) that is
submitting the application; (2) completing the project application title; and (3) providing all required
contact information from the representatives noted in Appendix A.1. Complete a separate contact
page with the appropriate information for each participating college.
(2) Abstract
Limit to one page
The ABSTRACT should be a brief summary of the application, which addresses each of the application’s
narrative sections and be attached directly behind the Contact Page(s).
(3) Table of Contents
The TABLE OF CONTENTS shall be on a separate page, with each component of the application’s
narrative listed and page numbers indicated. The narrative pages for the application should be
numbered in sequence on each page.
(4) Service Numbers
Limit to four pages per participating college
Per Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, applicants proposing to serve greater numbers will receive priority for
funding. Numbers will be considered in light of the quality of the proposed program. Note: Because
programs are anticipated to engage in a ramp up period during Year 1 and Year 2, Year 3 numbers will
be used when evaluating ATP budgets.
Compile an unduplicated list of presently enrolled current and former foster youth, identifying their
student identification numbers and names, relying on these data streams; CCCCO Management
Information Systems - DataMart, Cal-PASS Plus, CCCApply, Free Application for Federal Student Aid,
California Chafee Grant, Priority Registration, OPS, self-identification and from external partners.
Additional tips are depicted in Attachment B.3. , “Getting to Good Foster Youth Student Educational
Data,” (California College Pathways). Data validation should include a reconciliation of the data
sources:
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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CCCCO Management Information Systems – DataMart: Identify enrolled foster youth through a
Special Populations search.
CCC Apply: Identify all students who answered yes to any of the five foster youth categories.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid – Identify any student who responded “yes” to question
#53 on the FAFSA.
California Chafee grant applications – Identify any students who were determined through financial
aid to be eligible for a Chafee grant. Make sure to use the list of eligible students and not just those
who actually received a grant.
Priority Registration – Determine who is flagged as eligible for priority registration based on foster
care status.
Self-identification – Colleges that operate a separate support program for foster youth, such as a
Guardian Scholars, program may know of students who did not identify as a foster youth on the
application or through financial aid, but did self-identify to the program staff.
Provide this list as an attachment to your ATP.
Similarly provide a second, numbered, reconciled, unduplicated subset list of presently enrolled current
and former foster youth who are both under age 26 and are taking 9 or more units, identifying their
student identification numbers and names. Provide this list as an attachment to your ATP.
Provide the number of current and former foster youth you propose to serve in Year 1, Year 2 and Year
3.
Explain how you derived your data, the strategies you will use to increase the number of students
served at each college, and the basis and methodology for your specific projections of growth from
Year 1 to Year 3.
If you believe available data to be inaccurate, please explain the inaccuracies and describe what steps
the district/and or college(s) will take to ensure greater accuracy in future years. Information about
strategies for improving data accuracy can be found in Attachment B.3. , “Getting to Good Foster Youth
Student Educational Data,” (California College Pathways).
(5) Statement of Experience
Limit to six pages
●
Describe any existing services at your college(s) that are specific for foster youth. Include only
those services that are targeted towards foster youth rather than services available to the student
population at large or other specific subpopulations.
●
Describe the specialized expertise related to serving the target population that exists within your
district and/or at the participating college(s) and how it will be leveraged for or integrated into the
CAFYES effort.
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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●
Describe existing collaborations comprised of representatives of multiple agencies and
organizations, in which college staff participate to support CCC students who are current and
former foster youth.
(6) Program Design
Limit to eight pages
In a narrative format, describe the services proposed for the CAFYES program over a span of three years.
The plan should depict growth from Year 1, to Year 2, to full implementation in Year 3.
 Describe the proposed services, strategies and activities that will be utilized to effectively
address the academic, social, emotional and financial needs of eligible foster youth attending
colleges within the applying district.
 Activities that are proposed as part of the program design should:
 Be aligned with components depicted in Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, (outreach and recruitment,
service coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and
financial literacy skills support, frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer
counseling, child care and transportation assistance, referrals to health services, mental
health services, housing assistance, unmet need grants and other related services),
 Address identified needs of current and former foster youth,
 Address gaps in services to this population,
 Be quantified and aligned to application budget, and
 To the degree possible, be evidence-based and informed
Applications must address how the program will provide each of the services outlined in Section J
(Funding Conditions) including space considerations to ensure students’ privacy.
●
Highlight the capacity of the colleges to address the needs of students who are current and
former foster youth, through partnership and collaboration with internal programs and partners,
and external county and community-based agencies. This section should explore how the
district’s program will:



●
Build on and leverage existing resources and relevant efforts supporting foster youth,
Provide innovative, promising, sustainable and scalable programs and practices for serving
foster youth attending CCC, and
Be sensitive and responsive to the needs of students with a history of trauma.
Describe the nature of existing internal and external partnerships that will inform, support and
provide needed services and resources for CAFYES participants. Highlight key relationships and
staff that will be involved in this effort.
(7) Program Management, Staffing and Support
Limit to four pages
●
Describe your district’s capabilities and knowledge in conducting and administering state-funded
projects and ability to collect and report financial and student performance data as required.
●
Identify EOPS staff who will be administering the CAFYES program and outline his or her plans for
coordination and oversight of the CAFYES program. Identify any current staff, in particular those
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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with experience working with the target population, who will provide CAFYES services. Describe
any plans to hire new staff, especially those who have experience serving or working with
systems that support foster youth.
(8)
●
Provide examples of the previous experience of college EOPS program staff in working
collaboratively with key internal and external partners, as a means of demonstrating capacity to
rely on collaboration when implementing CAFYES.
●
Provide an organizational chart for CAFYES that includes key internal, college-based and external
partners. Highlight partners’ roles and responsibilities.
Anticipated Outcomes
●
Limit to two pages
Outline short-, intermediate-, and long-term student and program outcomes. For students, these
outcomes might include key momentum points (e.g., remediation, course completion, term-toterm persistence, and completion of 30 units) and completion outcomes (receipt of a certificate,
degree and/or preparation for transfer). Note that Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, requires that programs
report on indicators of enrollment, retention, transfer and completion rates. See the California
Community College Scorecard (http://scorecard.cccco.edu/scorecard.aspx) for examples of
outcomes to consider. For the program, key outcomes might include hiring of staff with needed
expertise, securing memoranda of understanding with community-based partners, and
conducting training of college personnel on the needs of foster youth.
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Sample CAFYES Student and Program Outcomes
Short-term Outcomes
Intermediate Outcomes
Long-term Outcomes
For students:
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students that complete application to
receive EOPS / CAFYES services (MIS
data)
●
An increase in the number that
complete SSSP core services –
orientation, assessment and
education plan (MIS data)
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students who access all available
financial aid (MIS data)
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students who utilize priority
registration
For students:
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students who remain enrolled in 9 units
through the entire semester (MIS data)
●
A decrease in late registration and
course drops and withdrawals (MIS
data)
●
An increase in number of eligible
students who successfully complete
courses with a C or better (MIS data)
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students who complete at least 30
units (MIS data)
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students who enroll in subsequent
terms (MIS data)
For students:
●
An increase in the number of eligible
students who receive quality student
support services and needed referrals to
other needed resources (MIS support
service contacts, referral numbers)
●
An increase in the rates of eligible
students who persist and ultimately,
complete a certificate, degree and /or
transfer (MIS data)
● Eligible students report satisfaction with
EOPS / CAFYES available services (Exit
survey or interviews)
●
A decrease in number of eligible students’
who stop or drop out (MIS data)
For participating programs:
●
District EOPS programs identify and
hire appropriate staff
●
District EOPS programs nurture and
strengthen needed internal and
external partnerships (referral
network contacts)
●
District EOPS programs recruit eligible
current and former foster youth
(outreach, recruitment and
enrollment numbers)
●
District EOPS programs begin to
provide support services to eligible
students (MIS support service
contacts)
For participating program:
● Increase in CCC administrator, faculty,
and staff knowledge about services
available to current and former foster
youth (Pre/post surveys)
● Increased collaboration among EOPS
and other college-based programs to
better support current and former
foster youth (MOUs, student support
contact tracking)
● Increased collaboration among EOPS /
CAFYES and external partners including
community-based and county-level
agencies to better support current and
former foster youth (MOUs, referral
forms, student support contact
tracking)
● Increase in the number of eligible
students who receive services and
support from EOPS / CAFYES (Student
rosters, student support contact
tracking)
For participating programs:
●
An increase in EOPS / CAFYES programs’
capacity to create linkages with local,
community, county and state resources
to provide needed services to eligible
CAFYES students
●
Sustainable programs created through
EOPS / CAFYES formal partnerships with
college-based, community and county
social services and other agencies
(MOUs, support plans)
●
Consider outcomes that are plausible, doable, realistic and measurable given the proposed
program activities, strategies and practices.
●
List outcomes which include both student level outcomes (e.g., participants will complete courses
at rates equal to or greater than the general student population) and program (process)
outcomes (e.g., program will offer weekly, small group tutoring sessions and at least 20 students
will participate each week).
●
Address any performance outcomes unique to this project that will result from program
implementation.
●
Highlight datasets that will be used to provide information to measure and monitor key
benchmarks and indicators related to each outcome that will allow the program to track progress
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and make needed changes to ensure foster youth students’ success. Programs must provide
specific indicators that they intend to track to monitor both student and program success.
●
Note how existing planning and reporting requirements (e.g., such as categorical program
planning; institutional effectiveness planning, program review, etc.) will be leveraged for the
purposes of this program.
(9) Project Budget Plan
●
Complete the BUDGET PLAN FORM (see Appendix A.2. and A.3) for three (3) fiscal years: 201516, 2016-17 and 2017-18. Three separate budget planning forms – one for each of these fiscal
years –should be submitted for each participating college. The budget for Year 3 (2017-18)
should outline costs for full program implementation. When entering dollar amounts, round off
to the nearest dollar. Do not type in cents.
●
Consider the following when preparing the budget and budget narrative:
▪
CAFYES funds must be used only to support eligible CAFYES students. CAFYES funds must
supplement and may not supplant existing programs and services.
▪
Other sources of funds may be leveraged to supplement CAFYES. Students eligible for
CAFYES may also be eligible for other categorical services and should receive services from
those programs. These monies and services must be coordinated. Budget plans must
reflect this coordination.
▪
Purchasing equipment (such as computers, printers, etc.), or furniture is allowed only with
advanced CCCCO approval, after district selection. Prospective purchases must be linked
clearly to program activity. It is understood that the budget may include more start-up
costs to include equipment in Year 1, but budgets should reflect serving more students in
Year 2 and Year 3.
▪
It is allowable to use CAFYES monies to fund both core EOPS services and CAFYES over-andabove services for CAFYES students. It is also allowable to use EOPS funds for core EOPS
services, and CAFYES funds for CAFYES over-and-above services for CAFYES students.
Districts are given discretion to pursue the strategy that is best for their location.
▪
CAFYES funds must be used for CAFYES-related salaries and fringe benefits (certificated,
classified, or student), direct student support (financial aid, book vouchers, transportation,
child care, unmet need grants, etc.) and other authorized expenditures as described in the
Expenditure Guidelines (Appendix C.3.). Direct student support must be coordinated with
Financial Aid.
▪
CAFYES-related consultant contracts must be reviewed and approved by the CCCCO before
consultants start to work. To ensure approval of these contracts, there should be a clear and
relevant scope of work and budget that is in line with the consultant’s expertise and
experience, the students’ needs, and the program’s goals and objectives. These contracts
may be submitted to the CCCCO after the initial funding award has been made. See the
Expenditure Guidelines (Appendix C.3.) for more information about consultant contracts.
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▪
The CCCCO anticipates that the allocation for most CAFYES programs will be based on a
range of $3,000 to $5,000 per student. However, the application budget is subject to
negotiation based upon the review panel’s funding recommendations.
▪
Failure to provide complete budget information in the format required may result in
applications not being reviewed for funding consideration.
▪
The following district / college and CCCCO level signatures are required on the BUDGET
PLAN FORM (Appendix A.3.) (any color but black ink).
o
o
o
o
▪
Superintendent / Chancellor
EOPS director
Supervising administrator for EOPS
Chief Business Officer
For travel (Object 5000), district travel and reimbursement policies apply. Only travel
necessary for the project, including the minimum three (3) statewide meetings of
participating CAFYES districts to be held in Sacramento is allowed. List travel purpose and
estimated cost.
NOTE: The purpose of the budget is to indicate whether the project is well planned and reasonable in
scope. Technical errors in the budget will not necessarily result in a lower score if minor assistance
from the Chancellor’s Office can correct the error.
(10) Submission Procedure
Submit five (5) hard copies of the application, including required forms (Appendix A.1. and A.2.), and
required attachments, and one electronic, signed copy in PDF format on a flash drive. Staple the
hardcopy applications in the upper left-hand corners. Use 8-1/2’’ X 11’’ white bond paper only. Please
do not use binders or other covers and do not include appendices or other supplemental information
unless specified in the Application to Participate. Hardcopies needn’t contain signatures, because
signatures are mandatory on the electronic copy.
Send via certified mail or deliver five (5) hard copies and one (1) signed, electronic copy of the entire
application, in a PDF format, on a flash drive to:
California Community College Chancellor’s Office
Student Services and Special Programs Division
1102 Q Street, 4th Floor, Suite 4400
Sacramento, CA 95811-6539
Attn: Janet Fulton or Kelly Gornik
Five hard copies AND a flash drive containing the signed application must be received in the CCCCO
by 5:00 pm PST on Friday, October 9, 2015.
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It is strongly recommended that applicants use a mail delivery service that includes a tracking
system and evidence of receipt.
G.
Evaluation and Reports
Reporting of spending, programmatic activities, compliance with CAFYES guidelines and program
outcomes will be required on an annual basis in a form to be determined by the CCCCO. A mid-year
spending report will also be required, providing the opportunity for CCCCO to reallocate unused funds
either to other districts with CAFYES programs or to Student Equity.
H.
Rejection of Application
The Chancellor’s Office reserves the right to reject any and all applications received.
An application shall be automatically rejected if:
1. It is received at the Chancellor’s Office later than 5 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2015. Postmarks will
not be accepted.
2. The application is incomplete or fails to meet specification requirements.
I.
Rubric / Scoring Criteria
If selected, CAFYES programs will be recommended to the Board of Governors. The scoring criteria are
outlined in the rubric below. In order to qualify for a funding recommendation, programs must obtain a
minimum of 60% of the total points, excluding points for service numbers, which is equal to 66 points. In
order to ensure geographic diversity of programs when making final recommendations to the Board of
Governors the below distribution of programs will be selected. If an inadequate number of programs
apply for funding that meet the minimum score in a particular region, the district slots will be reallocated
to a different region.



Northern California (includes all districts in EOPS regions 1 and 2: two districts
San Francisco Bay Area (includes all districts in EOPS regions 3 and 4) and Central California (includes
districts in EOPS region 5): three districts
Los Angeles and Surrounding Areas (includes all districts in EOPS regions 6, 7, and 8) and Inland
Empire/Southern California (includes all districts in EOPS regions 9 and 10): five districts
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CAFYES Application to Participate Scoring Criteria
Application
Section
Max
points
Criteria



Service Numbers


An unduplicated list of presently enrolled current and former foster youth, identifying their
student identification numbers and names, is provided as an attachment.
An unduplicated list of presently enrolled current and former foster youth, who are both
under age 26 and are taking 9 or more units, is provided as an attachment.
The number of current and former foster youth applicant proposed to serve in Year 1, Year 2
and Year 3 displays annual growth.
The basis and methodology for reporting enrolled current and former foster youth, current
and former foster youth who are both under age 26 and are taking 9 units, and for
projecting the number of current and former foster youth proposed to serve is sound.
The strategies proposed to increase the number of current and former foster youth served is
sound.
90
Experience
Scores will be based on degree to which responses demonstrate established expertise serving the
target population including:
● Services currently exist on college targeted towards foster youth that can be leveraged to
support the development of the CAFYES program (services must be targeted specifically
towards foster youth rather than available to the student population at large or other
specific subpopulations.) College staff have specialized skills or knowledge related to the
needs of foster youth.
● College staff participate in an established, cross-agency collaborative network designed to
specifically support community college students who are current and former foster youth.
30
Program Design
Scores will be based on degree to which responses demonstrate a cohesive and responsive program
design including:
● Does the proposed program effectively address the specific needs of current and former
foster youth?
● Does the proposed program include all of the components required by the legislation in a
meaningful way?
● Does the proposed program incorporate any evidence-based or informed models?
● Will the program be able to provide a space for participants to meet with staff that ensures
student privacy?
● Has the program identified realistic and effective mechanisms for leveraging both internal
and external resources?
● Will the program include partnerships with other organizations to inform, support and
provide needed services and resources for CAFYES participants?
● Has the program identified mechanisms for being culturally responsive, in particular to the
needs of students with a history of trauma?
15
Program
Management,
Staffing and
Support
Scores will be based on degree to which responses demonstrate an adequate staffing and support
plan including:
● Does the district demonstrate the capacity to conduct and administer state funded projects?
● Does the application include adequate staffing to meet the needs of the target population?
● Does the project demonstrate that it will effectively and adequately utilize internal and
external partners to implement the proposed program within the funding timeframe?
● Does the program staffing structure provide for adequate supervision and coordination?
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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15
Application
Section
Anticipated
Outcomes
Project Budget
Plan
Overall Feasibility
of the Project
J.
Scores will be based on degree to which selected student and program outcomes are plausible,
doable and reasonable given outlined activities to ensure eligible students’ success:
● Do the identified outcomes include measurable process and outcome objectives and are
these objectives clearly linked to program activities?
● Do the outcome objectives selected include indicators of enrollment, retention, transfer, and
completion rates of foster youth?
● Does the application describe how the program will monitor short-, intermediate-, and longterm program and student outcomes in a way that is meaningful?
● Does the application highlight appropriate data sources that will provide necessary
information to monitor key benchmarks and indicators (e.g. access to financial aid, course
completion rates, retention rates, etc.), allowing the program to track progress and make
needed changes to ensure foster youth student success?
15
Scores will be based on degree to which responses provide an appropriate budget including:
● Do the budget items align with proposed activities?
● Do all proposed expenditures fall within eligible categories?
● Is the budget adequate to meet the program goals and objectives?
● Is the per student amount within the prescribed range?
15
Up to 15 points to be calculated as follows:
● Amount of non-CAFYES funds divided by the CAFEYS request amount = percentage leverage
● Points = percent leverage X 15 (rounded down to nearest point)
Example:
CAFYES request = $150,000 Leverage amount = 90,000 Leverage percent = 60% Bonus points = 9
Leverage
Bonus Points:
Severe Need
Max
points
Criteria
15
Scorers will evaluate whether the project appears to be realistically capable of meeting the goals,
purpose and key objectives of the legislation based on the totality of the information submitted.
5
TOTAL
200
Scores will be based on the degree to which application supplies evidence that:

The foster youth population applicant seeks to serve has distinct, more severe needs than
the general foster youth population,

a particular lack of resources for this population exists within the district’s service region,

local educational outcomes for foster youth are worse in the district’s service region than in
the other regions
20
Funding Conditions
●
Requirements Associated with Funding
Expanding and enhancing existing EOPS programs is required. CAFYES services shall not
duplicate or supplant services students receive from other programs or funding sources
including, but not limited to, Extended Foster Care and other college categorical funds.
Districts and colleges will be held accountable for the activities, objectives and outcomes
described in the submitted application. CAFYES funds are permitted to pay for the core EOPS
and SSSP services received by new, EOPS students who are CAFYES eligible However,
applications that leverage other funding to maximize CAFYES funds will receive additional
points.) In addition, the CCCCO will develop evaluation measures to determine whether
programs are achieving the desired goals of the legislation. Programs that are determined to
not be serving the anticipated number of students, not providing required services and
activities, not establishing and maintaining the necessary college- and community-based
partnership referral network, or not achieving adequate outcomes may be subject to a loss
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of funding in future years. Mid-year reports will be required of CAFYES recipients, providing
CCCCO the opportunity to reallocate unused funds to other, CAFYES recipients or Student
Equity.
●
Allowable and Required Activities
Required program activities implemented as part of the CAFYES must meet the objectives of
Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, that govern this funding and that are consistent with goals and purpose
(see pages 7 & 8). Funded efforts should support a network of college- and community-based
partners that will collaborate under the supervision and guidance of EOPS to increase and
expand districts’ EOPS programs’ ability to identify, outreach to and provide services to
eligible current and former foster youth (see Section B for eligibility requirements). Program
funds cannot be used to supplant existing resources or provide duplicative services.
Examples of programs, services and strategies that are consistent with the activities outlined
in (Ch. 771, Stats. 2014), may include BUT are not limited to the following:






Outreach and recruitment – to identify and engage current and former foster youth
who would be likely to or who are currently attending district colleges. Outreach and
recruitment efforts may include services such as Summer Bridge, college readiness
programs and orientation. They may also include analyzing existing data (e.g. FAFSA
and CCCApply data) to identify and conduct specialized outreach to foster youth; and
outreach to high schools, Independent Living Programs, child welfare/probation
agencies, local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program offices and other
efforts to recruit foster youth to enroll in college and in the CAFYES program. Funds
may also be used to support foster youth to access priority registration. Funding shall
not be used to support general outreach efforts but be limited to targeted and
strategic efforts to engage foster youth.
Service coordination – coordination of a set of services that will support students to
achieve desired educational outcomes. This should include collaboration with both
on-college and off-college partners.
Counseling – to provide academic support to help eligible students to complete
academic planning, access supplemental academic support and to decide on longterm academic and / or career goals. As with all EOPS students, programs that
receive funding for this area are required to provide at least three (3) counseling
and/or advising contacts per semester (two per quarter) for each student. A
comprehensive educational plan, tailored to the specific goals, strengths and
interests of each participant must be completed and updated as needed throughout
the period of participation in CAFYES.
Book and supply grants – to provide participants with access to additional funds and
vouchers that will help them to cover the costs of books and needed supplies.
Tutoring – to link participants to necessary academic support to help them address
knowledge and skills gaps. Tutoring services should be above and beyond that which
is available to the student population at large.
Independent living and financial literacy skills support – to ensure participants have
the skills they need to manage their financial resources and budget appropriately to
have the resources needed to secure stable, safe and affordable housing options and
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




cover college-related expenses. Activities can include offering a student success
course, workshops on independent living skills (e.g. time management, pregnancy
prevention/parenting, housekeeping and food management, using transportation,
accessing health care, knowledge of community resources, interpersonal skills, etc.)
and financial literacy (e.g. budgeting, credit, financial aid, banking, etc.) and/or oneon-one support to gain necessary skills. Activities may also include partnerships with
community-based organizations and other college departments.
Frequent in-person contact – to incorporate additional contact that is over and
above EOPS’ mandatory three counseling sessions (e.g., drop-in hours, workshop
participation, mentoring programs) with a counselor, other staff person, mentor, or
community-based or external partner representative. The student-to-counselor ratio
within the CAFYES program is intended to be significantly smaller than that for the
general EOPS program so that counselors and other staff and partners can devote
additional time to CAFYES participants and provide a more intensive level of service.
In addition, CAFYES staff should make themselves available to the extent feasible to
participants in need of immediate services in response to urgent crises.
Career guidance – to offer counseling and guidance on various career options that is
associated with the interests and strengths of participants. If a Career Center is
available on college, CAFYES should not duplicate the center's services; however,
CAFYES should coordinate its activities with that of the Career Center to provide
"above and beyond" services to CAFYES students.
Transfer counseling – to provide or connect students to available services that will
prepare them to transfer to a four-year institution or to take full advantage of
additional postsecondary opportunities. If a Transfer Center is available at the
college, CAFYES shall not duplicate the center's services; however, CAFYES should
coordinate its activities with that of the Transfer Center to provide “above and
beyond” services to CAFYES students. CAFYES staff should establish relationships
with foster youth college support programs at local four-year institutions in order to
facilitate the transfer process.
Child care and transportation assistance – to provide resources to support
participant access to child care and/or transportation assistance such as bus passes,
gas cards, and parking passes.
Referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other
related services – to coordinate with both internal and external partners to develop
a strategic and coordinated referral system to address a variety of participants’ nonacademic needs. CAFYES staff should be knowledgeable regarding available services
for foster youth and eligibility for different types of services and be able to provide
referrals to these supports. Note that it is not expected that CAFYES staff provide
services such as housing, mental health, etc. directly, but rather that they are able to
provide referrals and support students to access existing resources available either
on college or off college through county and city agencies and/or community based
providers. However, in a limited fashion and going “above and beyond” what is
already provided by EOPS, CAFYES may support unmet needs in these areas through
the vehicle of unmet need grants.
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K.
Application Scoring
The following are the descriptions of the ranges on how each application will be measured based
on the scoring rubric and criteria in Section I.
Satisfied all components (Qualifies to be recommended to the BOG)
Score in maximum range: 100% to 75%
The application provides in-depth evidence of abilities defined by the specification, provides
specific descriptions of how the requirements will be accomplished, and provides clear, detailed
illustrations of a successful CAFYES program. Applications in this range could be awarded.
Satisfies minimal components (May qualify to be recommended to the BOG with program and
budget revisions requested by CCCCO)
Scores in middle range: 74% to 50%
Provides some evidence of abilities defined within the application’s specification. The application
provides limited or vague descriptions, or various areas that lack linkage to the program goal(s).
Applications in this range could be awarded.
Satisfies few or no components (Does not qualify to be recommended to the BOG)
Scores in minimum range: 49% to 0%
The application lacks the requirements defined within the application specification. Areas of the
application lack description or the response is significantly deficient concerning the application
requirements. Applications in this range will not be awarded.
L.
Notification of the Selection of Districts
District Superintendent / Chancellors will be notified if their application is selected. Public notice of
selected districts will be posted on the CCCCO website.
M.
Protest Procedure
Any district having submitted an application wishing to file a protest against the award decision
may do so. The written protest must be filed with Dr. Denise Noldon, Interim Vice Chancellor of
Student Support and Special Programs, at the address above within five (5) working days after the
proposed award is announced. The written protest must specify the grounds for the protest. The
Vice Chancellor of Student Support and Special Programs shall review all information submitted
with regard to the protest and render a decision concerning the protest within thirty calendar days.
The decision of the Vice Chancellor of Student Support and Special Programs shall be final.
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Appendix A
Application Forms
19
1.
Contact Page
20
2.
Signature Page
21
3.
CAFYES Budget Instructions
22
4.
CAFYES Budget Plan Form
24
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District:
College:
ATP Specification Number: 15-0026
California Community Colleges
Chancellor’s Office
For CCCCO Office Use Only:
CONTACT PAGE
Project Title:
Participating College:
District:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
District Superintendent/Chancellor
Typed Name:
Title:
Telephone:
Email:
College President (or authorized designee)
Typed Name:
Title:
Telephone:
Email:
Supervising Administrator of EOPS Director
Typed Name:
Title:
Telephone:
Email:
EOPS Director
Typed Name:
Title:
Telephone:
Email:
Chief Business Officer (or authorized designee)
Typed Name:
Title:
Telephone:
Email:
NOTE: Please attach additional contact pages if more than one college within the district will be applying to
participate (one contact page per college).
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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District:
College:
ATP Specification Number: 15-0026
California Community Colleges
Chancellor’s Office
For CCCCO Office Use Only:
SIGNATURE PAGE
Project Title:
Participating College:
District:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
District Superintendent/Chancellor
Name:
Title:
Signature:
College President (or authorized designee)
Name:
Signature:
Title:
Supervising Administrator of EOPS Director
Name:
Title:
Signature:
EOPS Director
Name:
Title:
Signature:
Chief Business Officer (or authorized designee)
Name:
Signature:
Title:
NOTE: Please attach additional signature pages if more than one college within the district will be applying to
participate (one signature page per college).
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program
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COOPERATING AGENCIES FOSTER YOUTH EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM
BUDGET PLAN INSTRUCTIONS
The Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program (CAFYES) Budget Plan Form will be used
by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) to authorize and document the CAFYES fiscal
functions. For the purposes of this application, please submit three (3) separate budget planning forms for the
first three years of the program beginning with the costs of planned CAFYES program activities for the 2015-16
academic year. The Year 3 budget plan should estimate program costs for full program implementation.
The Budget Plan Forms should be completed for fiscal years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 and submitted with
the original signatures of the appropriate district/college staff and submitted to the CCCCO with the Application
to Participate (ATP). When completing the CAFYES Budget Plan, please use enter whole numbers only and follow
these instructions:
1.
Object Code – The column on the far left includes the seven object code categories based upon the
California Community Colleges Budget and Accounting Manual. Follow the descriptions in the manual
for each expenditure category.
a.
For personnel salaries and benefits, note the title of each position and the percentage of time
(FTE or full-time equivalent) assigned specifically to the CAFYES program, e.g., CAFYES
Coordinator .5 FTE, Counselor .25 FTE. It is not necessary to specify the individual's name.
Student salaries may be reported in terms of total hours for the year (e.g., CAFYES peer advisor
500 hours).
●
2.
Staff positions should be placed appropriately in certificated or classified object codes.
Student positions appear in Object Code 2000 - Classified.
b.
All CAFYES funds used for the purpose of providing child care, textbooks/supplies and
transportation services directly to CAFYES students should be reported under Object Code 7000
(category B). Meal tickets, bus passes, parking permits, and automotive repair and maintenance
services would also appear under 7000(B).
c.
Grants, allowances and other direct assistance for line items, such as child care, transportation,
textbooks-supplies and CAFYES incentive awards, will remain under Object Code 7000 (category
C).
Category A, B, C - This column refers to line items related to:
A - program development and maintenance
B - student support services
C - direct aid to students
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●
3.
4.
Separate lines for expenditures in each category are provided in each object code. Identify
specific line items with brief descriptions (e.g., printing, speakers, office supplies, recruitment
mileage, conference-travel, etc.).
Budget Plan - Funding Sources - Report the funds supporting the CAFYES program by showing the
amounts provided by Extended Opportunities Programs and Services (EOPS), CAFYES and Other
funding sources (including additional student equity, district monies, or private foundation grants)
during the fiscal year.
a.
Only EOPS funds used to support CAFYES activities and services should be entered in the EOPS
Funds column. Similarly, only ‘Other monies’ used to support CAFYES should be reported in the
‘Other Funds’ column.
b.
Expenses entered on each line should correspond with the appropriate category and object
code indicated. Subtotal the amounts under each object code category, then enter the grand
total at the bottom of the second page.
Signatures - Upon completion of the budget plan portion of the form, obtain all designated signatures
from the district prior to submitting the document to the CCCCO.
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COOPERATING AGENCIES FOSTER YOUTH EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAM
CAFYES Budget Plan – Page 1
College ______________________________________________________
Fiscal Year _________________
Object Code
1000 (Certificated/Academic Salaries)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
2000 (Classified Salaries)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
3000 (Employee Benefits)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
4000 (Supplies and Materials)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
5000 (Other Operating Expenses)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Category
Proposed Expenditures
A
B
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
Subtotal
C
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
CAFYES
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
EOPS
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
Other*
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
Subtotal
___
___
___
___
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
Subtotal
___
___
___
___
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
Subtotal
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
Subtotal
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
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COOPERATING AGENCIES FOSTER YOUTH EDUCATION SUPPORT PROGRAM
CAFYES Budget Plan – Page 2
College ______________________________________________________
Fiscal Year _______________
Object Code
6000 (Capital Outlay)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
7000 (Other Outgo)
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Category
Proposed Expenditures
A
B
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
Subtotal
C
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
CAFYES
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
EOPS
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
Other*
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
xxx ___
xxx ___
xxx ___
xxx ___
Subtotal
___
___
___
___
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$_________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$________________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
$_______________
* Describe the source(s) for any “other” funds included: ________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
EOPS Director
______________________________
Date
______________________________________________________________________
Supervising Administrator of EOPS Director
______________________________
Date
______________________________________________________________________
Chief Business Officer
______________________________
Date
______________________________________________________________________
Superintendent / President
______________________________
Date
Chancellor’s Office Approval:
______________________________________________________________________
Chancellor’s Office Staff
______________________________
Date
25
Appendix B
Additional Information
26
1.
Text of Senate Bill 1023 (Ch. 771, Stats. 2014)
27
2.
Expenditure Guidelines
30
3.
Cal-PASS Plus: Accessing Institutional Foster Youth Data
33
4.
Getting to Good Foster Youth Student Data
34
26
EDUCATION CODE - EDC
TITLE 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION [66000 - 101060]
( Title 3 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )
DIVISION 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES [70900 - 88810]
( Division 7 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )
PART 48. COMMUNITY COLLEGES, EDUCATION PROGRAMS [78015 - 79420]
( Part 48 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )
CHAPTER 9. Miscellaneous [79120 - 79420]
( Chapter 9 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )
ARTICLE 7. Support Services for Foster Youth Attending Community College [79220 - 79229]
( Article 7 added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. )
79220.
The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges may enter into agreements
with up to 10 community college districts to provide additional funds for services in support of
postsecondary education for foster youth. This program shall be known as the Cooperating
Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Program, and shall expand the number of students
participating in the Community College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services and shall
not displace other students. The funding provided pursuant to this article shall be separate and
apart from the funding provided under existing cooperative agencies resources for education
programs pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 79150). In addition to the delivery of
Student Success and Support Program services, as defined in Section 78212, services shall
include, when appropriate, but not necessarily be limited to, outreach and recruitment, service
coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and financial
literacy skills support, frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, child
care and transportation assistance, and referrals to health services, mental health services,
housing assistance, and other related services.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79221.
(a) A community college district that wishes to participate in this program shall apply to the
board of governors for funding pursuant to this article. The application of each participating
community college district shall provide the estimated number of foster youth who will be
served. The application shall also describe the extent of cooperation between the local county
child welfare department, the county probation department, the local educational opportunity
programs and services program, and the district to ensure that services provided under this
article to eligible youth are coordinated with, and do not supplant, other services provided by the
county and state.
(b) If more than 10 community college districts apply for funding under the program, the board
of governors shall give priority to those districts with the higher number of eligible students.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79222.
A student participant in this program shall meet both of the following requirements:
27
(a) Be a current or former foster youth in California whose dependency was established or
continued by the court on or after the youth’s 16th birthday.
(b) Be no older than 25 years of age at the commencement of any academic year in which he or
she participates in the program.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79223.
The board of governors shall adopt regulations that authorize the director of the Community
College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services at each community college to accept
students who are enrolled for at least nine units into this program.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79224.
It is the intent of the Legislature that, consistent with the requirements and intent outlined in
subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 78215, and to the extent that a participating community
college meets the responsibilities outlined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 78212,
any student who participates in the program pursuant to this article participate in the program of
services outlined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 78212.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79225.
The board of governors, in consultation with the State Department of Social Services, shall adopt
regulations for the program. The board of governors shall be responsible for the administration
of funds for the program. To the extent possible, the State Department of Social Services, in
consultation with the County Welfare Directors Association of California, the Chief Probation
Officers of California, and other advocates, shall consult with the chancellor’s office to ensure
that services provided under this article to eligible youths are coordinated with, and do not
supplant, other services provided by the county and state.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79226.
Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, commencing March 31, 2018, and
every two years thereafter, the board of governors shall submit a report to the Governor, the
education policy committees of the Legislature, and the California Child Welfare Council
describing its efforts to serve students who are current and former foster youth. These biennial
reports shall also include a review on a campus-by-campus basis of the enrollment, retention,
transfer, and completion rates of foster youth, including categorical funding of those programs.
The reports shall also include recommendations on whether and how the program under this
article can be expanded to all community college districts and campuses.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
28
79227.
This article shall be operative in a fiscal year only if funds have been appropriated for purposes
of this article for that fiscal year.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015.)
79228.
The board of governors may authorize the chancellor, consistent with the requirements the
board may impose, to designate up to 2 percent of the funds allocated pursuant to this article
for program administration.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
79229.
The board of governors may authorize the chancellor, consistent with the requirements the
board may impose, to designate up to 3 percent of the funds allocated pursuant to this article
for program development and program accountability.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 771, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2015. See ongoing operational condition
prescribed in Section 79227.)
29
Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support Expenditure Guidelines
Ch. 771, Stats. 2014, authorizes the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to enter into
agreements with up to ten community college districts to provide additional funds for services in support of
postsecondary education for foster youth as part of a new categorical program known as Cooperating Agencies Foster
Youth Education Support (CAFYES) program. This program will provide funding that is separate and apart from existing
funding to allow Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) to coordinate and offer a more intensive level of
services, programs and activities to eligible students,. Eligible students are current and former foster youth whose
dependency was established or continued by the court on or after the youth’s 16th birthday, who are no older than 25
years of age and who are enrolled in at least 9 college units at the time of entry into the program.
General criteria for expending CAFYES funds
Expenditures must ensure the delivery of services for eligible former and current foster youth students attending
California community colleges including but not necessarily limited to, the following services and activities: outreach and
recruitment, service coordination, counseling, book and supply grants, tutoring, independent living and financial literacy
skills support, frequent in-person contact, career guidance, transfer counseling, child care and transportation assistance,
and referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other related services (see Section J for
examples).
Acceptable Uses of CAFYES Funds
CAFYES funds may cover the full cost of providing EOPS-CAFYES services to CAFYES students. These funds are intended
to expand the number of foster youth receiving services through EOPS. Colleges are not required to provide core EOPS
services to CAFYES students with EOPS funds; however, it is an option. CAFYES funds may be used to fund both core
EOPS services and over-and-above CAFYES services, or colleges may use EOPS monies to fund core EOPS services and
CAFYES monies to fund over-and above CAFYES services to CAFYES students. Additionally, colleges may supplement
these funds with additional Student Equity funds or other sources if they so choose. For example, SSSP may provide
CAFYES students with core SSSP services. Applications that leverage other fund sources to maximize CAFYES funds will
receive additional points.
CAFYES funds may be used to support the following three funding categories as outlined in the Budget Plan Form in
Appendix A.2. and A.3.
CATEGORY A: PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE
Category A funds are used for the activities and functions which directly contribute to the planning,
implementing, and evaluating of program-wide efforts to attain CAFYES goals and objectives. Category A funds
may be budgeted in object codes 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000. Some examples of acceptable uses of
CAFYES funding for Category A include:




Salaries and benefits for the administrative functions of the EOPS director related to CAFYES as well as
staff time for program-wide support functions such as data collection, reporting, research and
evaluation
Contracts to consultants to provide relevant program services and supports in line with students’ needs
and gaps in existing capacity (contracts must be approved in advance by the CCCCO)
The use of newsletters or other media for program promotion and advertising
Equipment (must be approved by the CCCCO)
30
CATEGORY B: STUDENT SERVICES
Category B funds are used to provide services to CAFYES eligible students that are “over and above” those
available to the general student population and that are specifically geared to CAFYES students. These services
should directly assist eligible CAFYES students to realize their educational goals and objectives. Category B funds
may be budgeted in object codes 1000-7000. Some examples of acceptable uses of CAFYES funding for Category
B include:









Outreach and recruitment,
Service coordination,
Counseling,
Tutoring,
Meal tickets
Independent living and financial literacy skills support
Career guidance,
Transfer counseling, and
Referrals to health services, mental health services, housing assistance, and other related services
Personnel costs may include counseling staff; instructors; other academic staff; academic advisement, outreach/
recruitment, supportive services, staff support; peer advisors, peer counselors, peer tutors, peer recruiters, peer
outreach workers, student workers; tutors and other staff as appropriate along with associated benefits costs.
Travel and conference fees or other training expenses are allowable for CAFYES personnel only. This includes
travel costs for CAFYES staff to attend training or participate in other types of learning opportunities specifically
related to developing improved capacity to meet the specialized needs of foster youth. Mileage reimbursement
is permitted for CAFYES staff who attend CAFYES-related meetings (e.g., regional meetings, meetings with
county child welfare/probation departments, CAFYES-related training opportunities), or conduct outreach to
high schools, public agencies, community-based organizations, etc.
CATEGORY C: DIRECT AID TO STUDENTS
Category C funds are used for direct aid which may be awarded to eligible CAFYES students who have
documented unmet financial need. Direct aid may be dispersed in the form of a check or voucher, is part of the
student’s financial aid package and must be coordinated with Financial Aid. CAFYES direct aid may be awarded in
the form of an EOPS grant, EOPS work study or as an EOPS emergency loan. Category C funds may be budgeted
in object codes 2000, 3000, and 7000. Some examples of acceptable uses of CAFYES funding for Category C
include:






Book and supply grants,
Child care and transportation assistance
Limited housing assistance (i.e. deposit, rent)
CAFYES grants and
Work study grants
Meal tickets
Monetary limits in the amount of $900 for grants, $1,800 for work-study and $1,800 for combined grants and
work-study do not apply to CAFYES students. In addition, the CAFYES program does not have a required
category C obligation.
NOTE: For any category, CAFYES funds shall not be used to supplant any federal, state or local assistance.
31
Unacceptable Uses of CAFYES Funds
CAFYES funds shall be used to allow EOPS to enhance and strengthen staffing and program activities to identify,
outreach to and provide services and needed referrals for services to eligible former and current foster youth at
California community colleges. Funds shall not be used for the following purposes or to cover the following expenses:
a. Supplanting salaries, employee benefits, services, financial aid, and other expenditures that are currently
covered by other funding
b. Personnel salaries, employee benefits, consultant contracts, funding for activities and programs which are
clearly not CAFYES-specific
c. Indirect costs (e.g., heat, light, power, janitorial services and district-associated costs)
d. Staff travel and conference and CAFYES meeting attendance expenses for personnel whose employed time
and responsibility is not within the CAFYES program.
e. Recreational or entertainment functions for CAFYES personnel.
f.
Purchase of equipment and furniture not approved in advance by the CCCCO.
g. Political or professional association dues and/or contributions.
Due to the timing of notice of availability and allocations of funding, Year 1 expenditures may precede the adoption of
an approved plan but must be reflected in the plan submitted for approval and in year-end expenditure reports.
32
www.calpassplus.org
California College Pathways and Cal-PASS Plus:
Accessing Institutional Foster Youth Data
How to Access Cal-PASS Plus
If you do not have an account on Cal-PASS Plus, you will need to request access on behalf of your institution. Cal-PASS
Plus will verify your identity with the primary program contact on your college prior to providing access in order to
preserve the security of institutional data. This may take a few days. To request access, visit www.calpassplus.org and
select “Log-in” in the upper right corner of the web page. Complete the “New Users” request by providing your name,
email, phone, organization, and title. Make sure to add a comment in the box called “Special Request” that says
“Requesting Foster Youth Report.” This will alert Cal-PASS Plus that you want to see that data specifically.
To expedite verification, use your institution email and contact phone number to complete this form. If you would prefer
not to have a unique log on, or to speed up the process, you may work directly with your Institutional Research
department to have a person with an existing account access the information more quickly.
Foster Youth Data Access and Quality
All California Community Colleges (CCC), participate in Cal-PASS Plus. The CCC community has recently developed a new
data flag in their MIS data system to support the identification and tracking of foster youth. Consistent use of this flag is
necessary to ensure accurate data reporting. If foster youth have not been flagged consistently, current and historical
information regarding this population at an institution may be inaccurate in the Cal-PASS Plus system of data.
How to Access the Foster Youth Report
How to View the Foster Youth Dashboard (Community Colleges Only)
1. Go to www.calpassplus.org, log in, and then select the appropriate tab for “Community Colleges” or
“Universities” in the center of the web page.
2. Then select “Helpful Reports” from the drop down menu.
3. From here, you will be able to select the related “Foster Youth” report.
4. Select the parameters you want using the buttons at the top of the dashboard, then hit “Refresh” to run the
report on the foster youth population at your institution
5. You may then view the data through the dashboard or export the data to a spreadsheet for internal use, or
to share with partners.
For questions or support in accessing data on Cal-PASS Plus, contact help@calpass.org.
Information regarding foster youth enrollment is also available through the Community College Data Dashboard at
http://datamart.cccco.edu/Services/Special_Pop_Count.aspx.
Information regarding foster youth Course Retention/Success Rate is also available at
http://datamart.cccco.edu/Outcomes/Course_Ret_Success_SP.aspx
33
Getting to Good Foster Youth Student Data
INTRODUCTION
Collecting and monitoring quantitative data is essential to advancing the California College Pathways
Initiative’s common agenda of supporting foster youth with achieving four important student milestones:
!
!
!
!
Equip with essential resources
Enroll in a college or training program
Earn a degree or certificate
Embark on a career path
By examining progress and outcome measures related to these common goals, professionals can gain insight into
the educational experiences of their foster youth population and use this evidence to inform institutional policies,
procedures and practices that impact the achievement of those students. The collection, analysis, and synthesis of
key metrics are among the first steps towards taking informed action.
California College Pathways has partnered with Ed Results in order to make foster youth data more readily
available to campus practitioners through the CalPASS Plus System. CalPASS Plus, created through leadership and
funding by California Community College Chancellor’s Office, is an accessible, actionable and collaborative pre--‐K
through 16 system of student data. The system is managed by Ed Results and offers longitudinal data charts,
detailed analysis of pre--‐K through 16 transitions and workplace outcomes, information and artifacts on success
factors, and comparisons among like universities, colleges, K--‐12 school systems and schools. By pulling data from
K--‐12 school districts, community colleges and 4--‐year universities, along with labor market data, CalPASS Plus
offers an opportunity to provide more robust tracking and analysis than any one system could provide
independently. As such, campuses that are not currently participating in CalPASS Plus are strongly encouraged to
do so.
The guidance provided below is meant to assist campus professionals to put systems in place that provide the
most robust and accurate foster youth data possible. Note that it is anticipated that many campuses will continue
to utilize criteria to define eligibility for campus--‐based foster youth support programs that may be more limited
than the broad definition of foster youth proposed by California College Pathways for data flagging. The
protocols for identifying and flagging foster youth described in this memo are for the purposes of data collection
rather than program eligibility. It is expected that campuses will continue to independently define eligibility for
their specific foster youth programs based on available resources and individual campus priorities. Whenever
feasible, campuses are encouraged to track data for both the entire foster youth student population and those
participating in targeted foster youth support programs where applicable.
CURRENT FOSTER YOUTH DEFINITIONS
In order to gather data regarding foster youth, first we must be able to identify who the foster youth are. This
is complicated by the fact that there is no single standard definition of a “foster youth,” but rather a number of
eligibility criteria for various financial and support programs designated for foster youth.
Getting to good foster youth data begins with comprehensive and consistent definitions and identification
methods. Generally, in order for an individual to be categorized as a foster youth, he or she must have been
34
removed by a court from the home of his/her biological family for abuse and/or neglect and placed into a court-‐ordered out--‐of--‐home placement. Placements can include living with relatives, in a foster home or in a group
home. Additional eligibility criteria are typically based on the amount of time an individual spent in foster care,
the age at which they exited care, and their age currently. Some of the current foster youth definitions that relate
to higher education include:
•
FAFSA Independent status – Question #53 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) asks
the following in order to determine if a student qualifies as “independent” based on foster care experience: “At
any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a
dependent or ward of the court?”
•
Chafee grants – In order to be eligible for a Chafee Education and Training Voucher (ETV) grant, a student
must have been in foster care on or after their 16th birthday and the student may not have reached their 22nd
birthday as of July 1 of the award year.
•
Independent Living Programs (ILP) – In order to qualify for services through a county ILP, a youth must
be under age 21 and in foster care at any time from their 16th to their 19th birthday. Some youth in
guardianships may also be eligible.
•
Priority registration – Statute defines eligibility for priority enrollment as currently in foster care or
emancipated from foster care (i.e. exited foster care after the 18th birthday or as an emancipated minor) and
currently under age 24. Regulations allow campuses to adopt broader definitions by campus or district and some
have chosen to do so.
•
Medi--‐Cal – In order to qualify for Medi--‐Cal based on foster care status (i.e. no income test is applied) an
individual must have been in foster care on their 18th birthday and be currently under age 26.
•
CCC Apply – When completing the community college application, applicants are asked about their foster
care status. They are offered a variety of choices (see table 2), which combined capture any person who was in
foster care at any age.
•
Transitional Housing Placement Plus Program (THP--‐Plus) – In order to participate in the THP--‐Plus
program an individual must be former foster youth who exited the foster care system on or after their 18th
birthday and be between the ages of 18 and 24.
•
Foster Youth Campus Support Program eligibility (e.g. Guardian Scholars) – Many campuses have
targeted on campus support for foster youth and each program defines its own eligibility criteria. Some may
employ restrictions such as age limitations and other are more broad and may even allow for students who were in
guardianships or homeless to participate. The breadth of each definition often depends on the availability of
program resources and some programs have tiered definitions with different types of services being available for
different subsets of foster youth. In addition, some definitions are linked to funding sources (e.g. programs funded
through YESS ILP grants are limited to serving youth who meet the qualifications for county Independent Living
Programs.)
A summary of the various definitions described above is provided in Table 1 below:
Table 1: Foster youth definition summary
Benefit type
FAFSA
Chafee ETV Vouchers
ILP
Priority registration1
Medi--‐Cal
THP--‐Plus
CCC apply
Age in foster care
13 and up
16 and up
16 and up
18 and up
18 and up
18 and up
Any age
Current Age
Any
Under 23
Under 21
Under 24
Under 26
18--‐24
Any
35
Table 2: CCC Apply Options
Have you ever been in court ordered foster care?2
! I have never been in Foster Care.
! I am currently in Foster Care in California.
! I was previously in Foster Care in California, and aged out3 or
emancipated4 from the system.
! I am currently in Foster Care in a system outside California.
! I was previously in Foster Care in a system outside California, and aged out
or emancipated from the system.
! I was temporarily in Foster Care, but did not age out or emancipate from the
system.
TRACKING FOSTER YOUTH STATUS – COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Student data within the California Community College system is tracked through a centralized database known as
the Management Information System (MIS). Each community college district is required to upload student level
data into this system so that aggregate data can be tracked. This data is then made available to the general public
online through the Student Success Scorecard5 and Datamart System.6 In 2012 a flag was added to the MIS in order
to track foster youth status. This was a significant development in the effort to promote foster youth post-‐secondary educational success as it allows us to now track outcomes for this population in order to determine if
current interventions are effective and creates an opportunity to spotlight promising practices and hone in on
where to direct resources in order to be most impactful.
This is the requirement specified in statute however some campuses have chosen to adopt a broader definition as
allowed by regulation.
2 Per CCC Apply: “You have been in Foster Care if, by order of a court, you have been placed in a family or group home within a
foster care system. Foster Care includes, but is not limited to, placement in care under the supervision of the Juvenile Court
Delinquency Division. As long as you were placed within the foster care system by order of a court, you were in Foster Care.
Having a legal guardian does not necessarily mean that you have been in Foster Care.”
3 Per CCC Apply: “You were aged out if, you were in Foster Care when you turned 18.”
4 Per CCC Apply: “You were emancipated if, while you were in Foster Care and under 18 years old, a court granted your
independence as an ‘emancipated minor’.”
5 Available at http://scorecard.cccco.edu/scorecard.aspx
6 Available at http://datamart.cccco.edu/
1
The way in which this flag is currently used varies significantly by campus, compromising the reliability of the
data. Although the vast majority of campuses are reporting this data to the MIS (90% report rate as of the fall of
2013), it is believed that the flag does not at this time accurately capture all of the foster youth on campus and
may in some cases include students who are not in fact foster youth. In order to get to good data, campuses
must utilize common definitions and tracking methods.
In some cases, campuses are tracking their foster youth but are not using the flag that populates the MIS foster
youth data field. For community colleges, it is essential that the foster youth flag that populates the foster youth
data field within MIS be used to track foster youth rather than an alternative data element within the local system.
When a campus uses a priority registration flag to track foster youth or tracks them manually outside of the
campus data system the information is not appropriately included in the upload of local campus data to MIS.
This causes the foster youth report available through CalPASS Plus to be inaccurate, and therefore unreliable.
Moreover, it impedes the eventual inclusion of foster youth data on online portals such as the Datamart.
36
TRACKING FOSTER YOUTH STATUS – CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA SYSTEMS
Unlike the community college system, the CSU and UC systems do not have a centralized mechanism for tracking
foster youth and there is no requirement that individual campuses do so. However, like community colleges, four-‐year campuses must utilize common definitions and tracking methods in order to get to good data. As 100% of UC
campuses and most CSU campuses have specialized support programs for foster youth in place, most campuses do
appear to have a mechanism in place for tracking foster youth. Those that do not should consider updating their
data systems to incorporate a foster youth flag and use the data collection mechanisms described in more detail
below to populate the foster youth data element.
VERIFICATION OF FOSTER YOUTH STATUS
The only formalized mechanism currently in place to verify foster youth status system--‐wide is that used by the
California State Aid Commission (CSAC) for the purposes of determining eligibility for Chafee grants. The
California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is able to conduct a data match in order to verify eligibility of
students who submit applications to CSAC for a Chafee grant across all three public college and university systems.
The degree to which foster care status is verified for other benefits such as independent FAFSA status or priority
registration varies significantly by campus. This can cause confusion and inadvertently results in inconsistent
access to these benefits. In a handful of locations, a college or university may have a relationship with the local
Independent Living Program provider or Child Welfare agency that allows a staff person with a release of
information from the student to verify foster care status directly by telephone or e--‐mail. In most cases however,
the student is required to bring written verification to the college such as a letter from the child welfare agency or
a copy of a court order that verifies their status as a current or former foster youth.
USING THE FOSTER YOUTH DATA ELEMENT
Until a data verification system is created that allows for communication between CDSS and college data systems is
put in place, the onus is on foster youth to self--‐identify and each individual campus to track them consistently. The
addition of a foster youth flag to the community college MIS and most university data systems makes this job
easier, but some legwork is still required by campus personnel in order to ensure that the campus is capturing
accurate data.
In order to get the most accurate data possible it is recommended that each campus use a variety of sources to
identify foster youth on campus and then populate the foster youth flag based on this information. Many
community colleges in particular currently populate this field solely based on the information included in the
student’s application. While this is a good starting place, some foster youth choose to not self--‐identify on the
application due to a fear of being stigmatized and others may mistakenly identify themselves as foster youth when
they do not in fact qualify. Strong collaboration across campus departments is key to accessing all necessary
information to identify eligible youth. This generally requires cooperation between admissions & records, financial
aid, institutional research and student services.
The recommended practice for populating the foster youth flag is as follows:
1. First identify the population of students who have been identified as a foster youth from any of the following
sources:
" Admissions application/CCC Apply: Community colleges should include all students who answered yes to any
of the five foster youth categories. Four--‐year universities should identify whether there is a question regarding
foster care status on their application and if there is not, consider adding one.
" FAFSA – Identify any student who responded “yes” to question #53 on the FAFSA
37
" Chafee grant applications – Identify any students who were determined through financial
aid to be eligible for a Chafee grant. Make sure to use the list of eligible students and not just those who actually
received a grant.
" Priority registration – Determine who is flagged as eligible for priority registration based on foster care status.
" EOP/EOPS – Many campus support programs ask about foster youth status on their application or
intake materials.
" Self-Identification – Campuses that operate a separate campus support program for foster youth such as a
Guardian Scholars program may know of students who did not identify as a foster youth on the application or
through financial aid but did self--‐identify to the program staff.
" External partners – In some counties the Foster Youth Services program housed within the County Office of
Education or the County Independent Living Program or county child welfare office may track which foster youth
have enrolled at your campus and be able to provide you with that information.
2. Determine which of these youth have already had their foster youth status verified either through a Chafee
grant application, financial aid, EOP/EOPS, a campus support program, admissions and records or through an
external partner. All verified students from any source should be flagged as foster youth.
3. If resources allow you to conduct follow up with those who have not verified their foster youth status, request
verification through multiple means (e.g. e--‐mails followed up by personal phone calls). Flag all foster youth for
whom you receive verification. Only after multiple attempts to contact a student without response should a
determination be made to not flag the student as a foster youth.
4. If resources do not allow for follow up, it is recommended that you overcount rather than undercount for
the purposes of data collection.7 What this means is that you would flag all students who indicated foster youth
status from any source regardless of whether the status was verified or based only on self--‐report.
5. The verification process should impose as little burden on the student as possible. Students who have verified
foster care status for one department should not be required to verify status independently for other departments,
but rather systems should be in place that allow verification status to be communicated directly between
departments. When foster youth are required to bring in verification, multiple forms should be accepted such as
letters from a social worker or ILP program, copies of court orders, etc. as different counties may provide
verification to students in different formats.
CONCLUSION
Being able to obtain relatively accurate and complete data regarding foster youth educational outcomes is essential
to any effort to improve these outcomes. Without an ability to track progress, foster youth supporters will not be
able to judge which interventions are most successful in order to promote the use of proven practices statewide
that lead to improved outcomes. Further, the availability of data will allow for stronger advocacy around policy
efforts to support the foster youth population. In order to make the California College Pathways goals a reality, it
will take effort by a range of stakeholders and time and investment across systems and campuses. It is our hope
that the beginning steps described in this document towards a system of shared measurement, if implemented
widely by college campuses, will lead to great things to come.
38