On April 29, Conestoga is the host of a very special golf tournament to raise funds and awareness for the UNLV Fostering Scholars Program (FSP) that is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Fostering Success Initiative. The programs serve students who have experienced foster care. –By Lynda Maxfield, Special to SNGA.org
Click now to register to play and help support this very important cause. The UNLV Fostering Scholars Program relies on grants and donations to fill the financial gaps its students face and promote academic success.
Note: Donations are optional but encouraged. While the suggested amount per golfer is $250, if this exceeds your budget and you still want to golf, please sign up and donate accordingly. Because Conestoga Golf Club is donating all cart rentals and green fees, 95% of donations will go directly to the program (the other 5% will go to the UNLV Foundation for administrative costs). We hope to see you on the course!
Check-in for the charity event begins at 7:30 am with a shotgun start at 9:00 am. Game play will follow a Florida Scramble format.
About Foster Care Statistics and Reasons to Help
Young people enter foster care due to no fault of their own—often, such entry results from abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Notably, only about 47% are reunited with their families, and those not exiting care as minors are removed from foster care between the ages of 18-21, although the details of extended care (i.e., care after age 18) vary by state.
This set of circumstances means that many young adults are left to transition, often unsupported, into independent living. Poor transition support then contributes to the number of youths who face housing insecurity and houseless-ness. For example, within four years of emancipation from foster care, on average, one in four foster care youth will experience homelessness.
Moreover, 50% of the nation’s unhoused population has foster care history. These statistics highlight the need to provide these youth with greater community support and opportunities to create better futures for themselves and society.
While roughly 62% of high school graduates enroll in college after high school, youth with foster care histories experience significantly greater educational vulnerability. For instance, nationally, about half of foster care youth will finish high school, and those who attain college acceptance will face disproportionate hurdles while receiving less overall support.
The UNLV FSP provides these students with a range of support by helping bridge numerous gaps, gain new life skills, and build community—thus increasing educational equity for these students and promoting their success in regard to completing degree requirements. The program serves enrolled students with prior foster youth experience, regardless of where in the United States their experience occurred.
A generous Walter S. Johnson Foundation grant provides the program’s operating budget. Additionally, nearly all of the program’s current students are PELL-eligible, benefit from the Chafee ETV, and utilize the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents Foster Youth Fee Waiver. Collectively, these resources provide the program framework and offer tuition support. Still, they are limited and cannot cover all related educational costs like textbooks, meals, housing, basic needs, or transportation.
Thus, obtaining ongoing external funding from donors, grantors, and community members is essential because most students experience notable financial gaps even after drawing on every available resource.
Given these needs, this event aims to raise community awareness regarding the program and the particular needs of foster youth alums while also generating vital funding to support students.
Please consider registering to golf, donating (i.e., through the golf event or the UNLV Rebel Raiser website), volunteering to help with the program, or simply helping to promote the event.
