Post Secondary Education Services and Support (PESS)
Let’s talk about PESS!
Post Secondary Education Services and Support (PESS) is a program that helps young people who used to be in foster care while they are in school. PESS also provides continued transitional and financial planning that will assist in meeting your current and future needs.
Here's the cool part: if you meet certain conditions, you might get some money –$1,720 every month. This money is to help you with things like a place to live, bills, books, and living expenses while you're in college or vocational school in Florida (as long as it's eligible for Florida Bright Futures).
To be part of this program, one of two things needs to happen:
1. You turned 18 while the Department of Children and Families was looking after you, and you spent at least six months in a foster home or something similar before you turned 18 and you've got a standard high school diploma or GED.
OR
2. You're at least 18, and you were adopted from foster care after you turned 16, or you were placed by the court after spending at least six months in foster care within the last 12 months before your adoption or placement and you've got a standard high school diploma or GED.
Some Things to know:
Prior to receiving the PESS stipend, the Department will assess your skills and capabilities needed to manage your stipend. If you don’t meet the criteria, payments may be made directly toward housing with the remaining funds being disbursed directly to you. This payment arrangement will be made by your Community-Based Care Lead Agency and will continue until you are able to demonstrate your ability to responsibly manage housing and utility payments on your own.
Now, here's what you need to do to stay in the program:
You're going to a university, college, or trade school in Florida that's eligible for the Florida Bright Futures program and are taking at least 9 credit hours at a college/university or its equivalent at a trade school.
Need Additional Help? We got you covered!
For those young adults in PESS who are experiencing some financial hardships (i.e., car repairs, medical bills not covered under insurance, etc.), there are Aftercare Emergency Assistance funds just for you! Please contact your local community-based care lead agency for more information.
Here's the deal:
If your school isn't on the Florida Bright Futures list or if you want to go to school outside of Florida, you won't qualify for PESS, but don't worry too much - you might still be able to get some help from the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) funding. This is federal funding for people who used to be in foster care and are going to college. The rules for ETV are a bit different, and it depends on your state. In Florida, they can help folks ages 18 to 23, but you've got to apply before you turn 21. Florida’s ETV funding is generally used for those who are not going to a Bright Futures school or a school outside of Florida. ETV funding is awarded at $5,000 annually and generally goes toward your tuition (cost of attendance).
Don’t Forget
PESS is available until you're 23 years old or you are no longer a resident of Florida, not making academic progress in school, or you get a college degree or certificate. Take advantage of this awesome program!
If you ever have questions about PESS or need more info, you can check out the Office of Continuing Care. They're experts on this stuff and can connect you with the right person to get started. You can call them at (850) 300-HOPE.
If you still have questions and aren't sure where to turn, ask DCF:
