Tuition Assistance Program Initiative for TANF

The Tuition Assistance Program Initiative for TANF (TAPIT) addresses an important piece of the transition puzzle: access to postsecondary education. Many youth leaving foster care want to pursue college or technical programs but face immediate financial barriers that prevent enrollment or persistence. This Washington D.C. initiative uses Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) support to reduce those barriers through tuition assistance and structured guidance so young adults can actually enter training programs, not just consider them. For TANF programs, TAPIT is an example on how TANF funding can be strategically structured to support postsecondary access as part of a broader transition strategy, ensuring that education and training are not treated separately from employment services but as a coordinated investment in long-term self-sufficiency for youth exiting foster care.