Foster Student Resources

Support for Foster Care Students

Your path to college. Your community of support. The Universities of Wisconsin support students who have lived in foster care, are homeless, or have been orphans or wards of the court. You belong here—and we are here to help you succeed. Through Fostering Success Programs, 11 of our universities provide specialized support, while all 13 have dedicated campus contacts to assist students as they navigate college life.

Get Support Now

If you need immediate help, you are not alone.

24/7 Mental Health Support:

  • UW Mental Health Support Line: 888-531-2142 or Chat
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
  • Hopeline Text Line: Text HOPELINE to 741741
  • Veterans Crisis Line: 988 (press 1) or text 838255
  • LGBTQ Crisis Line (Trevor Project): 866-488-7386
  • Emergency: 911

Campus Services

At participating UW universities, services may include:

  • Campus visits for high school students currently in foster care
  • Individualized support and guidance to campus resources
  • A community of support to help you feel connected
  • Free essentials: school supplies, shelf-stable food, hygiene products, and monthly meals
  • Emergency funding for unexpected needs
  • Work-study jobs in Fostering Success offices
  • Opportunities for leadership and advocacy

Resources

The resources below help with the admissions and financial aid processes necessary to gain access to and pay for education.

Go Wisconsin Team Connect with the Go Wisconsin team
Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) Use the Free Application form to apply for financial aid
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Youth services paying for college
Brighter Star Wisconsin’s Brighter Star Wisconsin's Education and Training Voucher (ETV) fund

Fostering Success Annual Reports

Learn more about the activity and impact of Fostering Success Programs by reviewing their annual reports.

2023-24 Annual Report PDF
2023-24 Annual Report Accessible Version
2022-23 Annual Report PDF
2022-23 Annual Report Accessible Version

Get Connected

11 UW universities have full Fostering Success programs with a dedicated coordinator and services. All 13 universities have campus contacts ready to assist current and prospective students who:

  • Are aging out of foster care
  • Are unaccompanied or homeless
  • Are orphaned or wards of the court

Program Consultant/Coach: Tawney Latona, UW-Milwaukee (tawney@uwm.edu)

Universities of Wisconsin Administration Liaison: John Achter, Office of Enrollment and Student Success (john.achter@wisconsin.edu)

Note: If you need to update contact information on this site, please contact Lindsey Lecus (lindsey.lecus@wisconsin.edu)

University Contact Name Email Address Program
UW-Eau Claire FranChesca Riley rileyfa@uwec.edu View Program
UW-Green Bay Erin Van Daalwyk vandaale@uwgb.edu View Program
UW-La Crosse Meghan Mullin mmullin@uwlax.edu View Program
UW-Madison Sarah Korpi sarah.korpi@wisc.edu View Program
UW-Milwaukee Tawney Latona tawney@uwm.edu View Program
UW-Oshkosh Laurie Stevens stevens@uwosh.edu  
UW-Parkside Kristina Klemens klemens@uwp.edu View Program
UW-Platteville Bassirou Toure toureb@uwplatt.edu View Program
UW-River Falls Tammy Kincaid tamara.kincaid@uwrf.edu View Program
UW-Stevens Point Samantha Samreth ssamreth@uwsp.edu View Program
UW-Stout Jessica Brooks brooksje@uwstout.edu View Program
UW-Superior Jennifer Bird jbird2@uwsuper.edu  
UW-Whitewater Malayna Oswald oswaldmp01@uww.edu View Program