More than 800 young people who were formerly in government care are now accessing the province’s post-secondary tuition waivers.
The program, launched in 2017, allows young people up to the age of 26 who had aged out of care to attend 25 public post-secondary schools, with costs covered by the government. It’s has since added foundation and apprenticeship training programs, including 10 union-based programs.
So far, 806 students have taken advantage of the support, the province announced Tuesday. They are studying in institutiohns all over B.C. in areas such as social work, academic arts, nursing, trades, and graphic design.
The three schools with the most students using the funds are Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Camosun College in Victoria, and the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford.
READ MORE: B.C. increases funding, age limit for youth aging out of government care
Every year, 750 to 1,000 youth age out of care in B.C.
A study by the B.C. Coroners Service found that young people leaving government care were five times more likely to die than those in the general population, often after struggling with mental health and addiction problems.
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