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For many low income and disadvantaged students formerly in foster care, community colleges are the main post-secondary educational pathway to socioeconomic opportunities. However, students formerly in foster care face many barriers in accessing college as well as actually succeeding in achieving a college degree. Although there have been considerable efforts to expand opportunities for foster youth to earn college degrees, low educational achievement and attainment continue to characterize this population. This qualitative study represents the stories of 12 former foster youth and their collective experience relating to what it is like to be a former foster youth navigating the financial aid system. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the process of financial aid as seen through the lived experiences of former foster youth. This study presents the opportunities and barriers faced by these individuals in accessing financial aid and as such, it provided a community of students a voice that could help improve policies and practices towards the process of awarding and coordinating financial aid to students formerly in foster care.

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Dr. Solemsaas currently serves as the Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, NV. Previously she served as Vice President for Administrative Services at Bellevue College and Vice President for Finance and Operations at Edmonds Community College.

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