Pathways to college for former foster youth: understanding factors that contribute to educational success.

This article presents early descriptive findings from the Pathways to College study, a multimethod and multiphase study of emancipated foster youth. Results based on a sample of 216 emancipated foster youth attending a four-year university indicate that many of their experiences are characteristic of individuals manifesting resilience in the face of adversity. At the same time, results indicate that although the youth are successful academically, they may be vulnerable in other areas. This article examines the participants' responses, comparing them to other studies to understand the factors that affect the academic performance of former foster youth.