The Independent Living Act was established by the 2000 Oklahoma Legislature to ensure that eligible individuals who have been or are in the foster care program of the Department of Human Services receive services that include housing, medical coverage and education. Applicants must be a resident of Oklahoma and must have graduated within the previous three years from a State Board of Education-accredited high school, the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics or a high school bordering Oklahoma as approved by the State Board of Education, or the student must have completed the General Educational Development (GED) requirements.
Tuition waivers are available to students up to 21 years of age who have been in DHS custody for at least nine months between the ages of 16 and 18. Must be enrolled in a public college or university or certain programs at technology centers. Tuition waivers will be made available to eligible students up to 26 years of age or upon completion of a baccalaureate degree or program certificate, whichever comes first. A resident tuition waiver covers the cost of resident tuition for all courses for which resident tuition is charged. The student is responsible for all other fees: special course fees, student activity and facility fees, assessment fees and others.