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Only three percent of Florida foster kids graduate from college and legislation being discussed in Tallahassee could lower the success rate even more.

Right now kids who age out of the foster care system can receive money to go to college until they are 23. A bill filed by Representative Matt Hudson would lower the age to 21. Christina Spudeas, the Executive Director of Florida’s Children First says the change would leave the kids who are trying to improve their situation with no where to turn.

“There’s really only a handful in the whole system that qualify for this. They have to be in college fulltime. They have to be doing really well. And so to take that away will be effectively telling them quite school, drop out, don’t become productive citizens, it’s a horrible bill,” said Spudeas.

Florida Children First is supporting two other bills that would allow foster youth who change schools midyear to continue to participate in extra curricular activates. The bills would also give every foster kid an education advocate.