When Nathanael Okpych first began studying the educational journeys of young people who grew up in foster care, one statistic stood out: fewer than 1 in 10 complete a college degree.

One of his recent studies found that in California, as many as four out of five of those who enroll in college start their path at a community college. “This was an eye-opener,” says Okpych, associate professor in UConn’s School of Social Work. “Up to this point, most of the studies on students with foster care backgrounds focused on four-year colleges, not two-year colleges.”

Now, with a new research grant from the Transition-Age Youth Research & Evaluation Hub (TAY-Hub) at the University of California, Berkeley—funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation—Okpych and co-principal investigator Mayra Cazares-Minero of the University of California, Los Angeles will lead a two-year study to uncover what makes some community colleges especially successful in helping these students persist and graduate.

Titled “Better Than Expected: Unpacking the Student and College Characteristics Behind Successful Outcomes for Youth with Foster Care Experience in Community Colleges,” the project will examine both the human stories and the institutional factors behind student success. The total project budget is $39,793, with $20,920 going to UConn.

These are students who’ve often faced incredible challenges before setting foot on a college campus. If we can pinpoint the supports and conditions that help them not just stay in school, but succeed, that’s knowledge we can share. — Nathanael Okpych

“Since youth who have been in foster care often navigate college without the guidance of caregivers to help with admissions and financial aid, many also face housing instability, limited financial resources, and other challenges that can derail academic progress,” Okpych explains. “If we want to understand—and improve—their chances of finishing college, we have to start there.”

Okpych will focus his study on NextUp, a statewide program that delivers essential academic, financial, and social support to more than 4,000 students with foster care experience across California’s 116 community colleges.

Early reports suggest that students in NextUp often outperform their peers, but Okpych notes there’s an important question left unanswered: “We’ve never had the chance to dig deep enough to know if those differences are because of the program, or because the students who join it are different in ways.”

The study will run from July 2025 to March 2027 in three phases:

1. Checking the data – Comparing state administrative records with on-campus rosters to ensure the accuracy of NextUp participation data.

2. Crunching the numbers – Using linked education and child welfare data to examine how student characteristics, college environments, and NextUp participation affect both short-term (first-year GPA, persistence) and long-term (four-year GPA, degree completion) outcomes.

3. Learning from success – Identifying colleges whose students with foster care backgrounds perform better than expected, then interviewing staff to capture effective strategies that could be replicated elsewhere.

Okpych’s study coincides with his own research interests in the outcomes of youth with experience in foster care; child welfare policies and practices that support postsecondary education; and quantitative methods. His professional experience includes providing mental health services to youth in residential, school, and community settings, as well as working for several years in college residence life.

Additionally, Okpych is widely published on foster youth transitions and higher education, including the 2021 book Climbing a Broken Ladder and a 2025 systematic review of college outcomes for youth with foster care experience.

For him, the project is both an analytical challenge and a deeply human mission. Findings will be shared with policymakers, educators, and child welfare leaders, with the goal of strengthening the bridge from college access to college completion for foster youth—nationwide.

“These are students who’ve often faced incredible challenges before setting foot on a college campus,” he says. “If we can pinpoint the supports and conditions that help them not just stay in school, but succeed, that’s knowledge we can share far beyond California.”

Read more about Okpych’s work in this September 2024 UConn Today article.