Office of Foster Youth Support Services

Guardian Scholars

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Resources 

UC Riverside, the Office of Foster Youth Support Services (OFYSS) and surrounding communities offer a wide range of student success resources to help students maximize the college experience. Students are encouraged to contact OFYSS for help navigating these opportunities according to their specific needs and academic goals.

Below are foster youth resources specific to those students who have aged out of the foster care system, as well as campus and community resources that are available to all UCR students.

Foster Youth Resources

  • California Youth Connection

    California Youth Connection (CYC) is a youth-led organization that develops leaders who empower each other and their communities to transform the foster care system through legislative, policy and practice change.

  • iFoster

    iFoster is a national non-profit with over 40,000 members across all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. An estimated 500 new members join iFoster every month. iFoster’s mission is to ensure that every child growing up outside of their biological home has the resources and opportunities they need to become successful, independent adults.

  • Just in Time

    Just in Time is a San Diego-based nonprofit that ensures youth leaving the foster care system has a community of caring adults waiting for them after age 18. They believe consistent, long-term help from the heart is the foundation for the success of our youth so they can thrive and enjoy productive, satisfying lives.

Financial Aid

A UCR degree is more affordable than you might think! Connect with UCR Financial Aid for help with scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. Their other services include emergency funds, emergency loans and money management resources via the Financial Wellness Program. If you take out loans and need help monitoring the amount borrowed and repayment requirements, connect with UCR's Student Business Services for loan counseling and the U.S. Department of Education's Direct Loan website.

You can also explore scholarships.ucr.edu for additional on-campus, regional and national scholarships, as well as the community organizations below for general and foster youth-specific scholarships.  

Housing & Dining

As part of Guardian Scholars, you are provided with year-round, on-campus housing and dining options. This means that you are covered during breaks, summers and any time you need a place to call home. Plus, you will have access to healthy and delicious meals and snacks!

  • Housing Options

    As part of Guardian Scholars, you are provided with year-round, on-campus housing options in UCR's Residence Halls (for freshman students) and Campus Apartments (for continuing, transfer and graduate students, as well as students with families). On-campus living is comfortable, convenient and can significantly impact your academic success and personal growth. In fact, Residence Halls are the recommended and preferred home for over 75% of UCR's freshman class. 

    Other than the physical appearance of various housing options, there are no programmatic differences. Housing's Residential Life program offers organized social and educational programs, and its trained staff provides assistance with maintenance issues, health emergencies, roommate conflicts and personal crises. Additional resources, services and benefits include: 

    • Proximity to classes, libraries, dining options and campus events
    • Recreational lawn space
    • Secure bike storage
    • Social lounges
    • Supportive study environments
    • TV rooms with cable access
  • Dining Options

    UCR strives to offer residents a variety of restaurants with high-quality, authentic and healthy cuisine. You can enjoy meals at residential restaurants, campus restaurants, markets, and convenience stores ! The best part of it all is that there are variety of dining plan options to fit your eating habits.

Campus Resources

  • Academic Resource Center

    The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is a team of educators, counselors and advanced students who provide a variety of services to help students succeed in their college classes. The ARC is for all students who are not satisfied with their current grades and/or academic performance. The ARC regularly sees freshman and transfer students, graduate students, students on academic probation and those on the Dean's List.

  • CalFresh

    CalFresh provides qualifying students with up to $194 a month to buy healthy, nutritious foods. If approved, you’ll receive an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card. EBT Cards can be used to purchase most foods. (Alcohol, tobacco, pet food, paper/hygiene product purchases are not included.) CalFresh is not a welfare program and is formerly known as food stamps and SNAP.

  • Career Center

    The Career Center  offers career assessments, videoconferences with employers worldwide and connections with mentors. Students are invited to make appointments with career counselors for career guidance, resume reviews and interview preparation. Students can also log in to UCR Handshake and visit a career fair to find internships, part-time and full-time positions.

  • Counseling & Psychological Services

    Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) creates a positive, healthy atmosphere for undergraduate and graduate student populations. It provides access to mental health resources that support and promote academic, career, personal and social development. It also provides free, confidential and professional mental health services to the campus community.

  • Ethnic and Gender Programs

    UCR’s eight Ethnic and Gender Programs offer safe, relaxed environments in which students feel that they belong and are supported.

  • Recreation

    Recreation helps students develop a positive attitude toward life-term fitness and healthy lifestyles, both mental and physical. Its programs range from outdoor trips and cooking demos, to youth programs and SCUBA certifications.

    All UCR students are automatically members of the Student Recreation Center (SRC), a 155,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility for exercise, sports activities, events and general recreational use. 

  • Student Health Services

    Student Health Services (SHS) provides primary care and treatment to UCR students for injuries. Services include a full-service laboratory, travel clinic for students traveling abroad, dental clinic, vision care, pharmacy and more.

  • Student Life

    Student Life provides students with the total UCR experience by supporting beyond-the-classroom opportunities for learning, involvement, leadership, community building and creative expressions. Programs include Highlander Orientation, first-year student mentors, student organizations, fraternities and sororities, and more.

  • University Honors

    University Honors engages a diverse community of students, faculty and staff in the creation of global citizens through high-impact experiences that emphasize original scholarship, contribution, creativity and innovation.