College Scholarships for Adoptees

Education can unlock countless opportunities, but access isn't always guaranteed — especially when the costs are so high. If you're an adoptee or a youth adopted from foster care, you may be wondering:

• “Are there college scholarships for adopted children?”
• “What college scholarships for adoptees could I be eligible for?”
• “Where can I find information about available scholarships for youth adopted from foster care?”

This guide provides all the information you need about college scholarships for adopted children and youth from foster care.

While college isn't free or paid for if you're adopted or from foster care, there are scholarships and other financial resources designed just for you. We've compiled a detailed list of available college scholarships, along with information on how to apply.

Scholarships for Adopted Children

1 Daniel A. Terry Scholarship

This scholarship provides higher education financial assistance to the children of California’s fallen firefighters. To be eligible for the award, an applicant must be the natural or legally adopted child of a California firefighter who died in the line of duty and whose name appears or is approved to appear on the California Firefighters Memorial Wall. Each scholarship award amount is $3,000 and renewable for up to four years.

To learn more, click here.

2 Adoption STAR Academic Scholarship Program

This award is granted to young adults who were adopted or in foster care and have overcome diversity. Applicants must demonstrate good character and high achievement, have a history of academic progress through high school and plan to attend a four-year college.

To apply, click here.

3 Holt Adoptee Scholarship Contest

To qualify for this $700 award, applicants must be adoptees from domestic or international adoption agencies. They must be graduating high school and planning to attend an institution of higher education. Holt International awards three scholarships annually. Applicants are encouraged to get creative with their responses and may submit a wide variety of mediums, including self-portraits, essays, digital art and even songs.

To learn more, click here.

4 Higher Education Opportunity Scholarship

The University of Florida’s Higher Education Opportunity offers a scholarship for kids of full-time TEAMS employees. This scholarship is available to children who are biological, adopted, stepchildren, foster children or under the legal guardianship of a full-time TEAMS employee.

To learn more, click here.

5 Also-Known-As Adoptee Excellence Scholarship

This $1,000 scholarship recognizes and supports international adoptees pursuing full-time undergraduate education in the U.S. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens adopted from another country, age 25 or under and either current undergraduate students or graduating high school seniors enrolling in an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, financial need and essay responses.

To learn more, click here.

Scholarships for Youth Adopted from Foster Care

6 DREAM Former Foster Children Scholarship

This award provides up to $2,500 to eligible students who were adopted from the child welfare system in Oregon between the ages of 14 and 16. Qualified candidates must be under the age of 25 years old, have spent at least 180 days in foster care and be accepted for enrollment at any public university or four-year college on at least a part-time basis.

To apply, click here.

7 Emily Lester Vermont Opportunity Scholarship

This award is granted annually for $1,000 to $3,000. To be eligible, applicants must currently be in the custody of the Vermont Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families (DCF) or be between the ages of 18 and 24 and have been in DCF custody for at least six months between the ages of 16 and 18. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate associate's or bachelor's degree program at an accredited Vermont school. They must also demonstrate a financial need for assistance.

To apply, click here.

8 All-Star College Scholarship

This scholarship provides up to $5,000 each semester for up to four years to recipients. To qualify, candidates must have been adopted or exited foster care after age 13, show financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), be 21 or younger and be accepted by an accredited U.S. college or university. To maintain the scholarship, students must keep a minimum 2.5 GPA, submit grades and registration proof each semester, uphold a strong ethical code, maintain communication with UMPS CARE staff or mentors and provide additional financial information if requested.

To learn more, click here.

9 Kansas Foster and Adoptive Children Scholarship

This award distributes various amounts twice a year to students who are or have been foster children in the state of Kansas. This award is for eligible graduating high school seniors and current undergraduate students, and the funding must be used for tuition at an accredited institution, including trade schools, junior colleges, vocational programs or four-year universities.

To apply, click here.

10 Dondiego Family Youth Scholarship Fund

Every year, the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) presents $500 scholarships to high school seniors seeking post-secondary education beyond high school at any accredited U.S. institution. To be eligible, students must be the foster, adopted or biological children of currently licensed foster parents. Candidates must submit an application, proof of parent membership in the NFPA, two letters of recommendation, an official high school transcript and an essay on how foster care experiences shaped their future goals.

To learn more, click here.

11 Nebraska Foster and Adoptive Parent Association Scholarship

The Nebraska Foster and Adoptive Parent Association offers annual scholarships for adoptive, foster, guardianship and kinship children of Nebraska foster parents who wish to further their education beyond a high school diploma or GED. Award recipients must be U.S. citizens, reside in a foster or adoptive home within Nebraska, has been a Ward of the State and be enrolled in a two- or four-year U.S. institution.

To apply, click here.

12 Youth in Foster Care Scholarship Program

This scholarship program awards young adults aging out of foster care who want to develop a marketable skill or continue their education at a post-secondary school. Applicants must be a New Mexico resident for at least one year, have been in the New Mexico foster care system for at least one year and be between the ages of 17 and 21 at the time of application. Applicants must also be undergraduate students with either a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA from high school, a completed GED or a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA in college.

To learn more, click here.

13 Education and Training Voucher Program

The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program provides up to $5,000 in financial assistance for students to attend college or vocational programs. To be eligible for the ETV program, you must be between the ages of 16 and 23 and meet one of the following criteria: currently in or have aged out of DFPS foster care, been adopted from DFPS foster care or entered the Permanency Care Assistance program. Additionally, youth in the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department or tribal foster care are also eligible.

To learn more, click here.

14 Support For Success Program

This program offers funding through ETV funds as well as the Fostering Hope scholarship to applicants under 26 who have completed FAFSA. To be eligible for ETV funds, applicants must have been in foster care on their 18th birthday or adopted/placed in kinship guardianship after age 16 and reapply annually. To be eligible for the Fostering Hope scholarship, applicants must have been in foster care at high school graduation or GED completion or adopted/placed in kinship guardianship after age 14 and fulfill 40 volunteer hours per semester or 5 hours of weekly work for ongoing support.

To apply, click here.

15 Foster Care to Success Scholarship

The Foster Care to Success scholarship program supports former foster youth pursuing college degrees, certificate programs or professional training. Applicants must have been in foster care for at least 12 consecutive months before their 18th birthday, or be adopted/placed into legal guardianship after age 16. The scholarship is available to individuals under 25. The program is tailored for students pursuing a two- or four-year college degree who have at least one year of college experience and coursework with Cs or higher.

To learn more, click here.

16 Maryland Tuition Waiver for Foster Care Recipients

This waiver is available to foster care youth who are enrolled for an associate, bachelor’s degree or vocational certificate at a Maryland public institution of higher education. Applicants must be under 25, have lived in an out-of-home placement in Maryland and be attending a public two- or four-year college in Maryland. All applicants must also complete and file FAFSA by March 1 each year.

To learn more, click here.

17 David E. Ballard Scholarship

The David E. Ballard Scholarship with the support of Inherit the Music offers $10,000 to full-time undergraduate students who have experienced foster care after age 16 or homelessness within the past four years. Applicants must be pursuing careers in live entertainment, hve a minimum 2.75 GPA and be enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university.

To learn more, click here.

18 The Rezvan Foundation Scholarship

The Rezvan Foundation Scholarship provides up to $100,000 in tuition funding over four years for students who have been in foster care or adopted after time in foster care. Eligible applicants must be U.S. residents currently enrolled in high school with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. In addition to financial support, recipients receive ongoing mentorship to help them achieve their educational goals.

To learn more, click here.

19 Guardian Scholars Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship offers up to $8,000 per year to students who spent time in Iowa foster care between the ages of 14 and 18. Eligible applicants must be high school graduates with a minimum 2.3 GPA or have shown significant improvement in secondary education. Scholarships are awarded to full-time students attending colleges in Iowa, with a preference for those pursuing four-year degrees.

To apply, click here.

20 American Industries Scholarship

The American Industries Trade Scholarship offers up to $10,000 available for two years to current and former foster youth pursuing technical certifications or vocational degrees. Eligible applicants must have spent at least 12 continuous months in foster care leading up to their 18th birthday. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, 18 to 25 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED and plan to enroll full-time at an accredited two-year public or nonprofit college or vocational school.

To apply, click here.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.