Students are admitted directly into Carlow’s Community Scholars Program upon admission to the university if they self-identify as having experienced housing insecurity or been in foster care.
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Surveys show that cost of higher education is one of the greatest barriers to entry for low-income students and one of the top reasons students leave college. Students who have been in the foster care system or who lack stable housing are among those who are at a greater risk of not enrolling in or completing college.
Eight in 10 students with foster care experience face financial difficulties while in college, compared to seven in 10 of their peers, according to fall 2023 data from Trellis Strategies. A 2022 study from Trellis found 44 percent of students were housing insecure and 15 percent had experienced homelessness at some point since starting college.
To address equity gaps for these students, campus leaders at Carlow University created the Community Scholars Program, which aims to create a sense of belonging and offer practical support to learners who’ve experienced homelessness or foster care.
The background: Carlow is located in Allegheny County, Pa., where around 3,100 students face homelessness and 1,300 children and teens are in the foster care system, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette coverage.
While many former foster youth are eligible for federal, and sometimes state, financial aid offerings, accessing these resources can be difficult and some students are not aware they exist or that they qualify. Additionally, many learners need to work full-time or face economic hardships while enrolled, which can further impact their persistence.
In fall 2022, campus leaders first began discussing the possibility of creating a program specifically for former foster youth, which was a passion project for Carlow president Kathy Humphrey. Insights from fellow community members highlighted a need for a similar program to aid youth facing homelessness, as well.
Like many student support programs, the university needed additional funding to implement the initiative. Carlow received $5,000 from the U.S. Congress in July 2022 to launch the program.
Administrators hired a program director in summer 2023 and admitted the first pilot group of participants that fall.
How it works: Students are admitted directly into the program upon admission to the university if they self-identify as having been in foster care or have experienced housing insecurities. The program provides assistance to students in five key areas: academic success, housing, finances and employment, physical and mental well-being, and community engagement.
Community Scholars has a student space, affectionately known as the Sandbox, where program participants can hang out, study or connect with a staff member. The Sandbox is also conveniently located near other support offices, including TRIO, the Center for Academic Achievement and the Disability Services Office.
The program employs a graduate field placement student who provides one-on-one coaching to students and a peer ambassador who organizes social events. The program director, Susan Dawkins, is responsible for managing the Sandbox (including stocking the fridge and coffee bar), holding one-on-one meetings with students and coordinating with the Community Scholars advisory team.
That team is made up of social work faculty, the vice president of enrollment and corporate partnerships, and the assistant dean of students, among other practitioners and administrators.
Each participant receives weekly coaching meetings, access to housing and daily living support (including food, cleaning and laundry supplies, and bedding), school supplies, social programming and assistance for finding on-campus employment, internships and study abroad opportunities.
As students prepare to graduate, Community Scholars also addresses costs related to graduation and provides referrals to organizations that can help with career development.
What’s next: When the program launched officially for the 2024–25 academic year, participant numbers grew to 22 as of last month. For future years, the university hopes to add another 15 students per year, capping enrollment at around 60 learners.
To gauge impact, staff track students’ grades and persistence and retention rates, as well as qualitative data and student perceptions of the program. So far, students have enjoyed using the informal meeting space both to connect with peers and engage with staff, Dawkins says.
“As the program grows, and to sustain student development, persistence and success, there will be a need for additional funding to support more full-time staff as well as to provide essential material items for students,” Dawkins says. Carlow administrators hope to reach a 10-to-one student-to-staff ratio to continue high-quality coaching for participants.
The university is also seeking out strategic partnerships, including donor support or program naming opportunities to achieve funding goals.
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