NCFA Outreach: News Archive

NCFA Applauds Passage of Higher Education Amendment to Benefit Children Adopted from Foster Care

On September 27, the Higher Education Access Act of 2007 was signed into law, increasing college access and affordability by boosting financial aid.

The Fostering Adoption to Further Student Achievement Act, introduced by Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) as an amendment to the Higher Education Access Act, will encourage the adoption of older children by not forcing a teenager to choose between a loving family and financial aid. The provision corrects current law, which allows youth who “age out” of the foster care system to qualify for virtually all college loans and grants, while essentially penalizing those who are adopted.  The Coleman-Landrieu amendment expands the definition of “independent student” as defined in current law to include youth adopted out of foster care after their thirteenth birthday. This allows a student’s financial aid eligibility to be determined solely by that student’s ability to pay, regardless of his or her adoptive family’s income level, as many families who adopt teenagers and pre-teens may have done so without being able to shoulder the entire burden of college tuition.

"Education and a loving family are two key components of a child’s mental and emotional development. No child should have to choose between the two,” said Senator Coleman. “Under current law, adopted teenagers lose out on some or all college financial aid for which they would otherwise have been eligible, depending on his or her adopted parents’ financial situation. I applaud the Senate for passing our amendment to alleviate this discrepancy and encourage teen and pre-teen adoption.” 

"It is unacceptable for students to receive less financial aid merely because they were adopted,” Senator Landrieu said. “Restricting the financial aid opportunities of adopted teens unfairly penalizes them simply for seeking the love and stability that only a family can offer. This amendment corrects such unwise law by allowing adopted children to receive the financial help they need to attend college and realize their full potential.”

NCFA voiced its support for the amendment in a July 19 letter to Senators Coleman and Landrieu.

To read the letter from NCFA president Tom Atwood, click here.