USF College Students From Foster Care Can Receive Guidance Through Pearl Program

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The University of South Florida has expanded its grant program that helps students emerging from foster care, a news release said.

A $25,000 grant has recently been given to the USF Pearls foster program that was founded in spring 2021. It initially received $100,000 from Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton to launch the program, the university said. The Joy McCann Foundation donated the $25,000 grant.

According to USF staff, studies have shown that less than five percent of students who come from the foster care system earn a two or four-year college degree. At USF, some of these students enrolled but dropped out because they had difficulty connecting with professors and navigating the institution. Others were unaware they had available stipends through the Florida Department of Children and Family Services that help with books and housing.

“We started by looking at best practices, mirroring other institutions, and trying to figure out how to develop this program," said Joseph Contes, director of USF Student Outreach and Support. "We did so intentionally by creating a coaching and care management model where we would reach out to them as soon as they were accepted."

USF campuses currently have 194 students from the foster care system enrolled. The grant offers individualized guidance for students.

Around $15,000 of the grant will be used as an emergency fund for students from the foster care system, who tend to have unique funding challenges. The other $10,000 will be used to help start a level three training program that will make USF the only institution in the southern region that can provide coaching to other institutions that are pursuing programs similar to USF Pearls.

“It’s a privilege to share spaces with these students, to hear their stories, and reaffirm to them we care," Contes said. "We do that by supporting them while earning a degree and entering a career path, which is one of many reasons why they chose USF."