HARRISBURG, Pa. – A new law gives young people in Pennsylvania's foster-care system a real chance to get a college education.

Kids in foster care face obstacles to college that other students may not, especially as they age out of the system and begin living independently. But now, under the Fostering Independence Through Education Act, those with a high school diploma or GED can get a waiver on tuition and fees at any public or private college or university in the state.

According to Maura McInerney, legal director at the Education Law Center, Pennsylvania now ranks second in the nation for college debt.

"This new law will ensure that children who are in foster care can afford to attend college, many of whom are on their own and therefore, don't have the support and the safety net that other students would have while in college,” says McInerney.

The waivers are available to students who were in foster care at age 16 or older and can be used for five years, up to age 26. The program will go into effect in the 2020 fall semester.

McInerny points out the law not only gives students waivers on tuition and fees, it provides them with help to get what they need to stay in school.

"Every student will have a point of contact while at college,” says McInerney. “And that person will ensure that they can navigate the financial aid process, as well as find critical supports on campus."

To remain eligible, students will need to maintain satisfactory academic progress in their college classes.

The bill had contained a provision requiring colleges to pay for housing, too. But McInerny says that was dropped in negotiations to ensure passage of the bill.

"However, what we do see are a number of colleges and universities stepping up to the plate and saying that they will actually provide room and board to these students,” says McInerney.

McInerny credits the work of many organizations – in particular, Juvenile Law Center – as key partners in the passage of this legislation.

SALEM, Ore. -- A new project with a grant from the federal government aims to invite Hispanic students in Oregon into agriculture and technology careers.

Chemeketa Community College in the Willamette Valley has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The project will provide tuition waivers and paid internships for high school students, and place 12 agriculture science students from the college as mentors in local high schools.

Tim Ray, dean of Agriculture Science and Technology at the college, wants to fight the misconception farm-related work is only done in the fields.

"It's really training folks around how to manage agricultural enterprises, and work with all of the technology that is included in producing the food, fiber and fuel that runs the world," Ray explained.

He pointed out there are science-based jobs in agriculture, as well as opportunities in marketing and finance. The grant will direct nearly $275,000 to Chemeketa.

Ray noted the college is working hard to offer courses, especially on the non-credit side, in multiple languages.

"That's important to us; to eliminate that language barrier, as much as possible," Ray emphasized. "We try to have bilingual staff in the building."

The USDA has been selecting projects from Hispanic-Serving Institutions of higher education, including Chemeketa, to fund through grants.

DENVER - Colorado was able to increase student participation in Afterschool Nutrition Programs in 2020, even during school closures, according to new data from the Food Research and Action Center.

Crystal FitzSimons - director of school and out-of-school-time programs for the group - said programs work best when they combine healthy snacks and suppers with engaging activities, and Colorado providers helped keep students' education path open when they pivoted to curbside pickup and other creative ways to deliver meals.

"They were doing virtual, either activities or they were sending activities home with families to do," said FitzSimons. "And so they were trying to support educational enrichment at a time when so many kids were experiencing learning disruptions."

Colorado improved its national ranking for connecting kids with after-school nutrition programs from 41st to 16th.

Still, researchers found that students in low-income households and in communities of color were disproportionately impacted when schools closed, and educators struggled to regroup online.

As the nation moves forward, FitzSimons said after-school suppers and activities can play an important role helping students overcome significant educational and health impacts of the pandemic. She said working parents can also benefit from the peace of mind knowing their kids are in a safe space.

"The hours between 3 and 6, that is actually the time when kids are most likely to get in trouble, to engage in risky behavior," said FitzSimons. "So keeping kids in safe, enrichment environments during that time is critical."

Schools and community sponsors were able to connect an additional 37,000 students per day on average with after-school suppers compared to 2019. Nearly 1.5 million low-income children received meals through after-school nutrition programs during last year.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio schools continue to adjust to the evolving impacts of COVID-19, which means addressing both the academic and mental-stress issues faced by students.

Playing catch-up from nearly two years of interrupted learning is a challenge in itself, said Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, but the pandemic also exacerbated many students' social and emotional struggles. Those include behaviors related to coping skills, motivation and self-control. She explained that kids need a safe space in order to succeed academically.

"You know, it's Maslow's hierarchy of needs: You need to take care of basic human needs before the brain is capable of learning to its full effect," she said. "So teaching students how to get along with each other, taking care of physical needs, taking care of social-emotional needs."

Cropper said districts in Ohio are taking multiple approaches to help students, including incorporating social and emotional skills into classroom learning or adding Social-Emotional Learning as a special class. In a new survey, 72% of school district leaders said developing student' social-emotional skills is as important as building their educational knowledge.

School counselors in the survey confirmed the importance of incorporating social and emotional learning into their counseling programs. However, many are already stretched by other duties, including academic scheduling and testing.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said some districts are using federal dollars made available from the American Rescue Plan to hire more support staff and specialists.

"We know that teachers and administrators, and people traditionally trained in those academic roles, just weren't equipped to be able to handle all the need," he said. "So, having additional personnel in schools that specialize in this work, so that we really are paying attention to the needs of children."

School counselors and other educational support professionals are being celebrated today as part of American Education Week.