LCO No. 3868 1 of 2
General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6182
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 3868
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT EXTENDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION EXPENSES OF FOSTER YOUTH.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Department" means the Department of Children and Families; 2
(2) "Postsecondary education program" means any program that 3
leads to an academic degree or certification in a vocation or employment 4
training; and 5
(3) "Postsecondary education funding program" means the program 6
set forth in department policy 28-1 under which it funds the 7
postsecondary education of a youth who is committed to the 8
department, remains committed at the age of eighteen and meets the 9
requirements established by the department in its policies and 10
regulations. 11
(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the 12
department policies and regulations regarding the postsecondary 13
education funding program to (1) increase the age until which a youth 14
Committee Bill No. 6182
LCO No. 3868 2 of 2
can qualify for funding from the department under the postsecondary 15
education funding program from twenty-one to twenty-six years of age, 16
(2) increase the age until which a youth who is enrolled in a 17
postsecondary education program and continues to meet the 18
requirements established by the department is eligible for funding to 19
complete such postsecondary education program under the 20
postsecondary education funding program from twenty-three to 21
twenty-eight years of age, and (3) require any youth who is eligible for 22
funding under the postsecondary education funding program to 23
complete for each year such youth is enrolled in a postsecondary 24
education program, as a condition to receiving such funding, the Free 25
Application for Federal Student Aid and applications for any 26
appropriate scholarships and grants, including, but not limited to, 27
through any scholarship application portal administered by the 28
provider of such postsecondary education program. Nothing in this 29
section shall be construed to require the department to continue 30
providing case management services for any youth who begins 31
receiving funding under the postsecondary education funding program 32
when such youth is older than twenty-one years of age. 33
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require the Department of Children and Families to continue to
provide financial aid for the postsecondary education expenses for
foster youth until such youth reaches twenty-eight years of age.
Co-Sponsors: REP. WELANDER, 114th Dist.
H.B. 6182