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Staff Resources: Independent Living Project

The Independent Living Program, or ILP, is a Title IV-E, fedreally-funded, state-administered program to prepare foster care youth, ages 14-21, for their transition from foster care to adulthood, e.g. for when they will no longer be under the care of local Children and Youth agency and must have the skills to live on their own.

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Educational Training Grant

Select to open 4 things to help homeless and foster youth.

Extended Foster Care payments and FAFSA input

 

Extension of Aftercare Services and Chafee Education and Training Grant (ETG)

Under the provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act, Pennsylvania will extend aftercare services to age 23 and Chafee ETG to age 26 beginning state fiscal year 2020-21. The extension of aftercare services from ages 21 to 23 will allow former foster youth to receive IL services, which include needs assessment/case planning, life skills training, prevention services, education, support services, employment, location of housing, room and board, retreats and camps, indirect services, and program administration. Youth who achieved permanency through adoption or permanent legal custodianship prior to age 16 are not eligible for stipends, ETG or the Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program, known as FosterED. In addition, Family First amended the Chafee ETG program and allowed states to extend eligibility to youth up until their 26th birthday (previously 23rd birthday) and allow youth to participate in the program for up to five years, whether or not the years are consecutive. Pennsylvania opted into this provision effective July 1, 2020.

Pennsylvania Chafee Education and Training Grant (ETG) Program

The Chafee Education and Training Grant (ETG) Program is a federally funded program that offers grant assistance to Pennsylvania undergraduate students aging out of foster care who are attending a postsecondary institution approved for Federal Title IV student financial assistance programs.

PHEAA will administer the Grant Program for the academic year on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). This program is authorized under the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 as amended by the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001.

Maximum awards under this program are up to $5,000 per academic year. However, no award may exceed the student's cost of attendance minus other financial aid the student is receiving. Awards are contingent upon federal funding and are not guaranteed.

Eligibility requirements

To be considered for this grant, you must:

To apply

  1. Students must annually complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
  2. Download the Chafee ETG Program Application (118 KB PDF). http://www.pheaa.org/funding-opportunities/other-educational-aid/chafee-program.shtml
  3. Mail your completed Chafee ETG application to:


PHEAA
State Grant and Special Programs
PO Box 8114 
Harrisburg, PA 17105-9923

 

For more information, please contact us at 1-800-692-7392 or PAETG@pheaa.org.

 

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