Breaking Barriers: Creating a Youth-Centered Pathway to Higher Education

Breaking Barriers: Creating a Youth-Centered Pathway to Higher Education

• For many young people, college represents a pathway to independence, opportunity, and a future of their own making. But for students experiencing homelessness and those who have been in foster care, the road to higher education is often filled with barriers—financial instability, lack of support, and the daily struggle to meet basic needs like housing and food.
• Young people in these situations don’t need more hoops to jump through. They need policies that recognize their resilience, remove unnecessary obstacles, and provide real, youth-centered support. Florida has taken steps in this direction, expanding tuition exemptions and improving access to resources. But are these policies truly meeting young people where they are?
• A recent report, The Role of State Policy in Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness and Former Foster Youth in Higher Education by Carrie E. Henderson and Katie Grissom (2025), highlights the critical role that state policies play in reducing these barriers.

Centering Youth Voices in Higher Education Policies

Historically, policies that aim to support students experiencing homelessness and former foster youth have been shaped without their direct input.

But when young people are involved in designing policies that impact them, the results are more effective and sustainable.
In 2022, Florida made key changes to improve access to higher education for young people navigating housing instability:

• Expanding Eligibility: Florida updated its tuition exemption policies to align with the federal McKinney-Vento Act, ensuring that more students experiencing homelessness qualify for financial assistance. The state also extended eligibility to youth in shelter care, dependency proceedings, and guardianship arrangements—recognizing that many young people experience instability in ways that don’t fit narrow definitions.
• Reducing Bureaucratic Barriers: Before this policy change, young people had to prove their homelessness status every semester—forcing them to relive their trauma and navigate unnecessary paperwork. Now, if a student’s situation hasn’t changed, they don’t have to keep reapplying for help. This is a win for youth who need consistency, not constant reminders of their struggles.
• On-Campus Support, but Without Funding: Florida now requires colleges to have liaisons who help students navigate financial aid, course selection, and campus life. While this is an important step, the state did not allocate funding to help schools implement these changes, leaving young people wondering if the support they need will truly be available.

Are These Changes Actually Helping Young People?

So far, the data shows mixed results. The number of students experiencing homelessness who accessed fee exemptions more than doubled in Florida’s state colleges between 2021 and 2024. This suggests that removing barriers to eligibility is making a real difference. However, for former foster youth, the numbers have barely changed—raising concerns that the policy alone isn’t enough to address the unique challenges these students face.

What Young People Need to Succeed

Tuition exemptions are important, but they don’t solve the full picture. Young people aging out of foster care or experiencing homelessness need:

• Stable Housing Options: A tuition waiver is meaningless if a student has nowhere to sleep. Expanding on-campus housing options and providing housing stipends would remove one of the biggest barriers to college completion.
• Mental Health & Well-Being Supports: Many young people navigating higher education while experiencing instability are also dealing with the effects of trauma. Colleges should invest in trauma-informed counseling services that understand and validate their experiences.
• More Youth-Led Solutions: Young people should have a direct role in shaping the policies and programs designed to support them. Creating youth advisory boards and leadership opportunities within higher education would ensure that their voices aren’t just heard but valued and acted upon.

It’s Time to Do More

Florida’s recent policy changes reflect progress, but true impact happens when young people aren’t just beneficiaries of change—they are co-creators of it. To truly support students experiencing homelessness and former foster youth, higher education policies must go beyond tuition waivers. They must prioritize youth voice, stability, and holistic support systems that recognize the full realities of their lives.

When young people have what they need to thrive—

…housing, emotional support, and a say in the decisions that impact them—they don’t just survive college. They succeed. They lead. They change the system for those who come next.
The question isn’t whether these students are capable. It’s whether the system is truly ready to support them.
Henderson, C. E., & Grissom, K. (2025). The Role of State Policy in Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness and Former Foster Youth in Higher Education. Urban Institute. Retrieved from here

Dr. Elizabeth Wynter, Chief Strategy Officer for J.K. Elder & Associates

Dr. Elizabeth Wynter, Chief Strategy Officer for J.K. Elder & Associates, is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming the child welfare system to be more inclusive, supportive, and youth-centered. An award-winning advocate and author of Follow the Love: Permanent Connections Scaffolding, Dr. Wynter has spent over two decades championing systemic change and elevating the voices of young people with lived experience.

Her groundbreaking initiatives—including National Foster Youth Voice Month, the Foster Youth Voice Champion Blog, and the Youth-Centered Framework—redefine youth as active contributors and essential partners in shaping policies and programs. As a renowned Subject Matter Expert (SME) in youth voice and relational permanency, Dr. Wynter will play a pivotal role in co-designing a comprehensive plan alongside lived experience experts, ensuring that youth perspectives drive meaningful reform.

Dr. Wynter holds a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, where her research focused on improving transitions for youth aging out of care. Her expertise, passion, and unwavering commitment continue to inspire change, challenging outdated narratives and empowering young people to take the lead in shaping their futures.

For many young people, college is more than just an education—

…it’s a pathway to independence, opportunity, and a future of their own making. But for students experiencing homelessness and those who have been in foster care, that path is often filled with obstacles: financial instability, lack of support, and the daily struggle to meet basic needs like housing and food.

This month’s Foster Youth Voice Champion Blog highlights insights from a recent article from the Urban Institute: The Role of State Policy in Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness and Former Foster Youth in Higher Education. The report underscores the importance of youth-centered policies that go beyond tuition assistance to provide stability, well-being, and real support for young people navigating higher education.