A reported student support workshop at Sacramento State illustrates how colleges are building targeted persistence systems for former foster youth amid renewed federal attention. The story centers on the Guardian Scholars Program, where students—current and former foster youth—used a financial aid workshop to navigate scholarships and aid processes they said they found intimidating or unfamiliar. The piece describes how the program uses direct coaching and structured messaging to address mindset barriers, with coordinator Gina Bryan telling students they are “capable and worth investing in” rather than seeking a “handout.” It also connects the workshop to program features common across the sector, including housing help and support systems designed to stabilize students academically and emotionally. Nationally, former foster youth face very low odds of college or workforce success, with the story citing that only about 8% to 11% earn any college degree compared with 49% of adults overall in one analysis referenced in the reporting. Experts attribute gaps to instability and trauma, academic preparedness challenges, and a lack of social and emotional support structures in college. For student success leaders, the immediate takeaway is that compliance and financial aid navigation need to be paired with ongoing wraparound support to reduce dropout risk for highly vulnerable populations.