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All former youth in care now eligible for education tuition waivers: minister
British Columbia has expanded its Provincial Tuition Waiver Program, which offers free tuition to former youth in government care, to include all former youth in care enrolling in post-secondary education. This change removes the previous age cap of 27 years old for participating in the program.
The budget for the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program is set at $19.2 million over the next three years. This funding will cover the free tuition costs of all eligible former youth in government care at 25 public post-secondary institutions, including the Native Education College and union-based trades training providers.
Since its implementation in 2017, the tuition waiver program has benefitted approximately 2,300 students and waived a total of $16.6 million in tuition fees. The program has received support from the B.C. Ombudsperson, who called for compensation for a woman who was denied post-secondary funding, and the Children's Minister, who pledged to review the report.