Bursary Opportunity – Financial Assistance for Foster Children and Youth
Storwell Self Storage has developed the Foster Children Bursary Program to help former foster children and youth in care as they pursue their post-secondary education. Currently there are over 60,000 children in foster care, kinship care, or living in group homes across Canada. Many of these children have a difficult time obtaining access to adequate education. According to the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, 56% of Ontario Crown Wards end up dropping out of high school. The statistics are even more shocking when you look at post-secondary school enrollment. For every 1,000 youths in Canadian foster care, only eight go on to graduate with a post-secondary education.
The vast majority of foster children wish to attend post-secondary school but are unable to because of a lack of financial support. Once a youth “ages out” of foster care they lose access to many of the supports available through the child welfare system. Without family support, many foster children do not have the financial stability necessary to pursue their post-secondary education, which places them in a particularly vulnerable position. Research has shown that adults with a bachelor’s degree earn over $1 million more during their careers compared to workers with a high school diploma alone.
Despite these staggering statistics, there continues to be a major lack of support for foster children and youth in care, especially when it comes to financial assistance for post-secondary education. In an attempt to assist former foster children and youth in care, Storwell has developed the Foster Children Bursary Program to provide these children with resources and opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
The $2,000 bursary is awarded each year to a deserving candidate who was formerly a part of the foster care system and is currently enrolled in post-secondary school. Eligibility requirements and access to the application form can be found at: https://www.storwell.com/bursary-application