Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) for Former Foster Youth
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • Education Planning
The Chafee Education and Training Voucher pays up to $5,000 a year toward college or vocational training for young people with foster care experience, and you apply through a coordinator in your own state.
💵 Maximum award is $5,000 for the 2025-26 academic year
🎓 Open to ages 14-26 who were in foster care at 14 or older, aged out, or left care through adoption or guardianship at 16 or older
⏱️ Vouchers run for up to 5 years total, as long as you keep satisfactory academic progress
📩 Apply through your state's ETV coordinator, not through the FAFSA
What the ETV pays for
The Chafee Education and Training Voucher (ETV) is a federal program that each state administers on its own, and it pays toward tuition, fees, housing, books, transportation, and other education-related costs at colleges, universities, and vocational or technical schools. The maximum award is $5,000 for the 2025-26 year, according to Oregon Student Aid , though your actual award depends on your cost of attendance and the other aid you already receive.
The ETV is a need-based grant, and funding is limited each year. States award money until their allocation runs out, so apply as early as your state's window opens rather than waiting until the semester approaches.
Who qualifies
You were in foster care at age 14 or older.
You left foster care for adoption or kinship guardianship at age 16 or older.
You aged out of the foster care system.
You remain eligible for the ETV until your 26th birthday, provided you keep making satisfactory progress toward a degree or credential. States cap the total benefit at five years across your education, per the Administration for Children and Families . Full-time and part-time students both qualify, along with students pursuing a professional certification, an associate degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.
Where to apply
Each state runs its ETV program through a designated coordinator, usually housed inside the state child welfare agency or the state higher education agency. Colorado routes applications through the Colorado Department of Higher Education , and Louisiana processes them through the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance . Search "your state ETV coordinator" or ask a former caseworker to find your state's contact, since application steps, deadlines, and required documents differ from state to state. The Urban Institute keeps a state-by-state profile page that links out to each program's application portal.
Documents to have ready
Proof of your foster care history, such as a letter from your caseworker or state agency.
A completed FAFSA, since most states use FAFSA data to confirm your income and enrollment status.
Proof of enrollment or acceptance at an eligible school, along with your cost of attendance figure from the financial aid office.
Renewing your voucher
The ETV is not a one-time award. Reapply each year through your state coordinator and provide updated enrollment proof and a FAFSA for the new academic year. Keep your GPA and credit load at the level your school and state require, since falling below satisfactory academic progress puts your voucher at risk before you finish your program.
How the ETV fits with other aid
The ETV supplements other financial aid rather than replacing it, so file the FAFSA first every year and let your school apply grants and scholarships before the ETV fills remaining gaps. In states with a foster youth tuition waiver, the waiver typically covers tuition itself while the ETV covers costs the waiver leaves out, such as a laptop, textbooks, or a security deposit on an apartment near campus.
Steps to apply for your first award
Find your state's ETV coordinator through your state child welfare agency or a search for "your state ETV coordinator."
Confirm your program qualifies, since most states cover accredited two-year and four-year colleges along with vocational and technical certificate programs.
File the FAFSA for the current award year before you submit your ETV application, since your coordinator will likely ask for your Student Aid Report.
Submit proof of enrollment or admission, your foster care documentation, and any state-specific forms by the deadline your coordinator sets.
Follow up if you do not hear back within a few weeks, since coordinators manage a full caseload and applications can sit in a queue.
Which programs qualify
The ETV covers accredited two-year and four-year colleges, and many states extend it to vocational and technical training programs that lead to a certificate or license rather than a degree. Confirm with your coordinator that your specific program qualifies before you count on the voucher in your budget, since a handful of short certificate programs fall outside what some states fund.
If funding runs out before you apply
States sometimes exhaust their ETV allocation before every eligible applicant has applied for a given term. If your coordinator tells you funding is unavailable, ask whether a waitlist exists for the next award cycle. In the meantime, lean on the FAFSA-based Pell Grant and any state tuition waiver you qualify for, since neither depends on ETV funding levels running dry.