Texas DFPS Education and Training Voucher Program
Offered by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, administered by BCFS
About this scholarship
The Texas Education and Training Voucher Program provides federally funded Chafee assistance to eligible current and former foster youth pursuing college, university, certificate, vocational, or technical education. A qualifying student may receive up to $5,000 per year and may participate for as many as five years, defined by Texas as 15 semesters, whether consecutive or not. Funding is coordinated with the school’s official cost of attendance and other aid. It can support tuition and fees not covered by the Texas foster-care tuition waiver, books, supplies, computers, required equipment, transportation, child care, housing, utilities, food, and other approved education-related expenses. Applicants use the live BCFS online ETV form and should also complete the FAFSA. General deadlines are October 1 for fall, March 1 for spring, and July 1 for summer; vocational and training students should ask ETV whether a different deadline applies. Students ordinarily enroll in at least six semester hours at an accredited or pre-accredited nonprofit program leading to a degree, recognized certificate, or gainful-employment credential, and must meet the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy. Texas can continue serving a student until the month of the 23rd birthday when the student entered ETV on time and remains eligible. Tribal foster youth have a separately stated age ceiling of 25.
Eligibility
- Meet a covered foster-care category, such as being in DFPS care at 16 and likely to remain until 18, aging out of DFPS care, or entering adoption or Permanency Care Assistance after age 16
- Apply and establish eligibility before the applicable age limit, generally before age 23 for continuing Texas participants
- Hold a high-school diploma or GED, be exempt from compulsory attendance, or participate in an eligible dual-credit pathway
- Enroll in at least six semester hours unless ETV approves an applicable exception
- Attend an accredited or pre-accredited public or private nonprofit degree, certificate, vocational, or technical program that meets ETV rules
- Complete the FAFSA and provide the school and financial documents requested by ETV
- Maintain the institution’s satisfactory academic progress standard
- Remain within the five-year or 15-semester lifetime participation limit