About Fostering Scholars Program (FSP)
The UNLV Fostering Scholars Program is a campus-based support program for students with foster care histories. The students in this program are especially vulnerable and rely on the UNLV FSP for a range of support that is necessary to complete their four-year degrees.
Given the ongoing need for various community support, we seek external funding through invaluable financial donations. Nearly every kind of support is needed, and students in the program are so appreciative of every support.
Briefly, regarding funding, nearly all current students in the program are PELL-eligible, benefit from the Chafee ETV, and utilize the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents Foster Youth Fee Waiver, which covers tuition. Importantly, the UNLV FSP staff are dedicated stewards who help students operationalize every available funding source. Hence, external funding, such as donations from individuals or corporations, is supplemental, not primary.
External funds are essential because most students still experience notable financial gaps after drawing on every available resource. These gaps include things sometimes taken for granted by students in the general population, such as meals, basic needs, textbooks, transportation to campus, and between-semester housing. While a generous grant from the Walter S. Johnson Foundation has provided the university with a basic operating budget for this essential campus-support program, the budget has limitations. Thus, without additional external financial support, the program is very limited in what help it can provide students to fill these gaps.
Please consider making a donation. Note that all donations will support the Fostering Scholars Program. In addition, non-financial support is also appreciated through volunteer opportunities. Please contact the program coordinator, Heather Richardson (heather.richardson@unlv.edu), for information regarding these opportunities.