How Does It Work?

During our College Bound event, youth receive everything they need to start the school year off successfully: a laptop and printer, ink cartridges, a shopping spree for school and dorm supplies, and a personal coach to help guide them along their college journey! They also get to network, gain insights from professionals on topics such as saving and money management, hear from past College Bound participants about their journeys, and engage with a panel of graduates regarding what to expect in the years ahead.

All College Bound participants are also eligible to receive Learning to Succeed support to help overcome obstacles along the way. Learning to Succeed focuses on five key priorities to keep students enrolled and engaged all the way to graduation: stable housing (rent assistance for those not residing in dorms), academic confidence (tutoring and help with academic expenses), hard time working and going to school (access to jobs, income supplements, and financial literacy training), access to reliable transportation (bus/trolley passes, gas cards, access to low interest auto loans), and connections to a strong network of peer and adult support.

Requirements

To participate in College Bound, you must:

• Be a current or former foster youth between ages 18-26
• Be enrolled in a two-year or four-year college program
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher from high school or previous college studies
• Be available to attend a College Bound event in June

How Do I Join?

The annual College Bound event happens in June, but inquiries are welcome year-round. Contact our Youth Services team at 760-505-6647 or youthservices@jitfosteryouth.org to get more info.

Apply for College Bound in the JIT Application Hub here.

How Does It Work?

Master Your Dream sponsors help us provide financial support and other resources to participants enrolled in or accepted to accredited not-for-profit university graduate schools. Each student who is accepted into Master Your Dream is eligible to receive $5,000 in scholarship funds per academic year.

Requirements

To be eligible for Master Your Dream, you must:

• Be a former or current foster youth
• Be enrolled in or accepted to a postgraduate program
• Stay enrolled for the entire duration of your postgraduate studies and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Submit transcripts and testimonials as needed

How Do I Join?

  How Does It Work?

JITernships provide financial assistance to help participants with their living expenses while they work an unpaid or low-paying internship. Participants work with JIT staff on a budget and plan to determine how much support may be provided and how it will be allocated. The financial needs of each participant are taken into consideration as well as the length of the internship, with a cap of $3,000 for a year-long internship. Funds are dispersed on a bi-weekly basis once a participant is officially accepted into their internship.

Requirements

To apply for a JITernship, you must:

• Be accepted to an internship that does not meet your financial needs
• Be enrolled part-time or full-time in a college institution
• Submit a description of the internship from the employer
• Be able to present pay stubs, a monthly budget, rent/bill statements, and a personal statement
• We willing to provide updates about your progress every two weeks

How Do I Join?