Foster Care Alumni (FCAs), or individuals who left the foster care system either by aging out, adoption, or returning to their family of origin, typically make up a small, fragmented portion of the student body at higher education institutions. This group is increasingly referred to as Foster Scholars on higher education campuses. FCAs tend to have unique and significant challenges like lack of support, need for mental and emotional health services, financial needs beyond tuition and campus fees, and the need for enhanced academic support. This dissertation provides an understanding of FCAs and their academic, emotional, and social needs. It looks at how the State University of New York (SUNY) higher education system uses the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) to address these needs. By conducting an ex-post "Theory of Change" assessment, this study weighs SUNY's "espoused theories-of-action" against their participating campus' "theories-in-use" to understand the level of implementation fidelity at the institutional level. This study also sought to determine if campuses align with holistic FCA program services, as defined by this study. Survey results determined that most participating SUNY campuses align with FYCSI policy, with at least six of the eighteen campuses also aligning with FYCSI and holistic FCA program services. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]