Supporting Young Adults Formerly Involved in Government Care with Post-Secondary Education Costs
Young adults transitioning or transitioned from government care face significant barriers to accessing
adequate educational opportunities, especially post-secondary education, with only eight of every 1,000
going on to graduate post-secondary education. This, conjoined with the fact that degree holders earn
up to $1 million dollars more during their careers than those with just a high school diploma, leads to
significant socio-economic disadvantages experienced by care leavers compared to their peers who did
not reside in care.
In British Columbia (BC), Indigenous care leavers are unduly impacted by financial challenges and access
to education. Although the government of BC has made steps to address funding barriers by offering the
Provincial Tuition Waiver Program (Waiver Program) to BC students who formerly resided in care, there
are many limitations to the Waiver Program, including eligible post-secondary institutions, eligibility
requirements, and age restrictions. In addition, the Waiver Program only covers tuition and mandatory
fees, not other additional costs, including books, educational materials, food, transportation, or housing.
To support young adults transitioning or transitioned from care with educational costs, Storwell Self
Storage has launched the Foster Children Bursary Program. This Bursary Program offers an annual
$2,000 bursary to eligible young adults and can be used for expenses associated with post-secondary
education. Storwell has been providing high-quality self-storage units in Toronto and across the GTA for
over twenty years and is now trying to support youth across the country who are looking to better their
lives through the pursuit of advanced education.