WASHINGTON — Melania Trump will announce a new round of scholarships for foster children on Thursday, partnering with IndyCar to bring new opportunities to those in need.
The sanctioning body for US auto racing will team up with the Trump administration, and Indiana and Purdue universities to fund the investments, joining 24 other schools around the country.
To mark the occasion, IndyCar designed a custom red, white and blue helmet for the first lady, embossed with her name and the names of her “Be Best” and “Fostering the Future” programs.
“Only 3% of individuals in foster care in the United States go on to complete some level of college,” Marc Beckman, Trump’s exclusive senior advisor, told The Post.
“And that becomes very problematic. This is why you see such a high rate of individuals from foster care that end up homeless and mixed up.”
The partnership comes ahead of Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix race through the streets of Washington, DC, where the first lady will join President Trump in taking an honorary lap around the track ahead of the starting flag.
The president, along with representatives of IndyCar and the universities, will join Melania Trump in the Rose Garden to make the formal announcement on Thursday.
Beckman said 100% of the money goes to the scholarship fund.
“There’s no administrative fee or marketing fee. It goes directly to the universities, and the universities fund the scholarships with 100% of the funds,” he said.
The scholarships are merit-based, and any foster child can apply for one.
Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” program has become one of her main platforms as first lady.
Part of her overall “Be Best” initiative, it works to improve children’s well-being, education and digital safety. She has arranged for foster children to receive Trump Savings Accounts and hosted a summit of spouses from around the world to discuss children’s issues.
She has lobbied Congress to allocate more resources to foster children — a measure that has passed the House but still needs approval in the Senate.
Additionally, President Trump has signed an executive orderdirecting more federal resources to foster children.
“She’s not just raising awareness,” Beckman said. “We’re actually impacting and changing people’s lives. This is fully about results.”
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