Melania Trump is set to unveil a new IndyCar partnership Thursday to expand college scholarships for foster children.
The first lady, 55, will appear in the White House Rose Garden alongside President Trump, 79, IndyCar representatives, and officials from Indiana University and Purdue University to announce the initiative, according to her office. The racing body has designed a custom red, white and blue helmet 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 brings the total number of schools participating in the Fostering the Future scholarship program to 26, with Indiana University and Purdue University joining existing partners including Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia, and The Ohio State University. 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.
“She’s not just raising awareness,” Beckman added. “We’re actually impacting and changing people’s lives. This is fully about results.”
The announcement comes as 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.
In June, she launched Fostering the Future Accounts in partnership with the Treasury Department, a dedicated savings and investment vehicle for foster youth. “Fostering the Future Accounts give foster children the same chance for asset ownership and long-term wealth building as every other American child. By investing in our foster youth now, we help strengthen America’s workforce, communities, and economic future,” she said in a statement on her official website at the time.
Twenty-three Republican governors have pledged to set up the accounts for children in their states’ care, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who appeared with her at the Treasury Department launch event. She has also 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 order directing more federal resources to foster children. The administration secured $30 million for foster youth housing in the FY26 budget through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Foster Youth to Independence program.
The IndyCar partnership also ties into 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 race, set for Aug. 22-23, marks the first-ever NTT IndyCar Series event on the streets of the nation’s capital, with a course winding past the National Mall, the Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol.
In the viral moment that brought renewed attention to Melania Trump’s foster care advocacy, she has pressed for concrete policy changes rather than symbolic gestures. Her April appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation on housing instability, educational advocacy, financial barriers, and transportation access for foster youth. The House unanimously passed the Fostering the Future Act on May 19, supporting current and former foster youth transitioning to independence.
The first lady has also built international dimensions into the initiative, hosting representatives from 45 nations in March for the inaugural Fostering the Future Together meeting at the State Department and White House. The global coalition aims to make advanced technology available to assist children, educators, and parents while protecting them from online dangers.
President Trump and IndyCar drivers Alex Palou, Felix Rosenqvist, and David Malukas previously visited the White House on July 13 to preview the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, where Malukas called the upcoming race “a once-in-a-lifetime experience to celebrate America’s 250th.”
The first lady’s public schedule has remained limited this year, with approximately 38 appearances since January according to published analyses, though her foster care initiatives have accounted for several of her most significant policy engagements.
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix runs through Washington, DC.