After spending her teenage years in the foster care system, a Spokane teen pursued her degree and is using her lived experience to give back to her hometown and advocate for youth like her. With assistance from the Education Training and Voucher Program (ETV), Aubrey Shuman recently graduated from Eastern Washington University with her social work degree.
The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) is a national program available to support foster youth in continuing their education. ETV offers financial assistance to eligible youth to attend an accredited college, university, vocational, or technical college.
“It’s very easy to feel alone when you are in foster care,” Shuman said. “It feels like you are the only one going through what you're going through and it’s hard to ask for help. It makes it easier when programs like ETV are offering and providing help. It’s essential for foster youth to have at least one pillar of support.”
Shuman worked with her caseworker to enroll in the ETV program. Unlike other forms of financial aid, ETV does not automatically go to the applicant's college or university, the funds go directly to the student with the maximum award being $5,000 per year.
The voucher funds help with a variety of the costs associated with higher education including:
- Tuition
- Child Care
- Transportation
- Insurance
- Adaptive Software
- Computer & Printer
- Gas
- Phone
- Tutoring
- Uniform or Required Clothing
“If you qualify for the program, I absolutely encourage anyone to apply,” Shuman said. “The people in the program genuinely care. It goes beyond just books and tuition, if I was going through something, like my car broke down, I could reach out to the program. They were a huge support.”
For more information about the program and eligibility, visit the ETV webpage.
