American Foster Futures Calls on Governor Landry to Fund Foster Youth Tuition Waivers Now

For immediate release

BATON ROUGE, La. — August 5, 2026 — American Foster Futures (AFF), a national advocacy organization, respectfully requests that Governor Jeff Landry and state leaders take immediate action to fully fund Louisiana’s foster care tuition waiver program authorized under LA HB 1287 / Act No. 738. This bill was passed in 2006 — over 20 years ago — but has never been funded.

AFF’s analysis, which accounts for CPI and projected tuition increases, shows the program can be funded for approximately $6 million over five years — a modest investment that would allow eligible foster youth to begin college as early as Fall 2027. Doing so would be historic and finally realize the moral imperative of higher education for foster youth. Unfortunately, shortly after the bill’s passage, Hurricane Katrina hit, and due to a statewide budgetary crisis, the appropriations process was set aside.

The existing statutory framework already provides tuition and mandatory fee exemptions for qualified former foster youth at Louisiana’s public postsecondary institutions, much like the national model waiver in Texas. But implementation remains subject to appropriation, which for some reason has never happened in the 20 years since its passage. Without dedicated funding, the promise of the law remains out of reach for young people who have already overcome significant barriers.

“Foster youth have been told their entire lives that education is the path forward. The Legislature created the path 20 years ago, but failed to appropriate the meager funds needed to change lives. Inaction by the Louisiana Legislature has resulted in an entire generation of foster youth being denied access to this historic opportunity. Now is the time for the state to fund foster care tuition waivers. Six million dollars over five years is a rounding error in the state budget, but it is life-changing for foster youth ready to enroll in 2027. We are calling on the Governor to prioritize this investment through the BA-7 mid-year appropriations process for the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA), or at minimum during the 2027 budgetary cycle.”

AFF is specifically advocating for aggressive use of the BA-7 mid-year adjustment mechanism (or another available option) so that funding can be secured in time for the 2027 academic year. Delaying until the next regular budget cycle would push opportunity out to potentially 2028, which is wholly unacceptable.

“Foster youth in Louisiana have been waiting for 20 years. Don’t make them wait any longer.”

Foster youth who age out of care face steep odds. Research consistently shows that access to postsecondary education dramatically improves long-term outcomes in employment, housing stability, and self-sufficiency. Louisiana has the legal authority and fiscal capacity to act. What is required now is the political will to place these students first.

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