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By Jennifer K. Morita

May 02, 2025

Ten Sacramento State students who have experienced foster care will continue receiving $500 a month for a second year as part of United Way California Capital Region’s Collegiate Guaranteed Income program.

Students were presented with their checks during a May 1 press conference at the Welcome Center with ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, United Way and UC Davis officials, marking the first day of Foster Care Awareness Month.

“This hits home for me because my twin brother and I were born wards of the court and grew up in a foster home,” Sacramento State President Luke Wood said. “In college, we faced many of the challenges that are similar to the fostering population – food insecurity, housing insecurity, visiting family members who are incarcerated.

“So I know this money is important, and it goes a long way to ensuring the students experience not only success in their academic journeys, but one of dignity.”

launched its Collegiate Guaranteed Income program a year ago with 10 ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ students who are part of Guardian Scholars, a program that serves former foster youth on campus.

“It gave me something every student deserves: the peace of mind to focus fully on my education, my goals, my future, without that heavy weight of survival pulling me down. Without these funds, many of us would have been forced to make impossible choices between school and basic needs. Instead, we are choosing our future.” -- Jeneses Watson, Sociology major

This year, the guaranteed income program has been expanded to include 10 UC Davis students as well.

“We know that former foster youth face significant challenges … and these pressures can make it incredibly difficult to focus on their studies,” said Dawnté Early, United Way California Capital Region president and CEO. “Our program was aimed to alleviate these challenges by providing the financial support these students need.

“And after one year of our program, we’re excited to say that all 10 of our students are still enrolled in college.”

Early said her team chose to continue contributing to the same 10 ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ students to help ensure they graduate.

More than 23,000 teenagers age out of the U.S. foster care system each year, according to the National Foster Youth Institute. Only about 4% earn a college degree.

In California, approximately 4,000 students who have experienced foster care age out of the system annually. Roughly 31% will become unsheltered as they transition from foster care, Guardian Scholars Director Linda Ram said.

Housing and food insecurity as well as lack of transportation are often the reason former foster youth who are enrolled in college don’t graduate, she added.

Several of the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Guardian Scholars who received United Way’s monthly guaranteed income are on track to graduate by June 2026.

Sociology major Jeneses Watson, who will graduate in Fall 2025, said the second year of guaranteed income is “another year of breathing room.”

“It gave me something every student deserves: the peace of mind to focus fully on my education, my goals, my future, without that heavy weight of survival pulling me down,” she said. “Without these funds, many of us would have been forced to make impossible choices between school and basic needs. Instead, we are choosing our future.”

Sacramento State is committed to improving the lives of former foster youth by increasing their college graduation rates through programs such as Guardian Scholars. Since it began in 2006, Guardian Scholars has provided academic counseling, emergency financial assistance, help with on-campus housing, mentoring and advocacy.

In November, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ announced it will guarantee admission to former foster youth who meet CSU eligibility requirements.

“We’re already seeing an incredible surge of students who want to be here at Sacramento State,” Wood said at the May 1 press conference.