Ensuring Post-Secondary Education Opportunities for Homeless Youth

1. Ensuring Post-Secondary Education Opportunities for Homeless Youth Barbara Duffield National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth PAHCI Statewide Conference October 16, 2009

2. Barriers to College Access Lack of parent/guardian - forms, scholarships Lack of knowledge about access programs Lack of assistance to complete FAFSA Lack of ACT/SAT fee waivers Inability to participate in college fairs (transportation, awareness) Need for employment to survive Low expectations from family, others

3. Barriers to College Retention Lack of housing during academic breaks, summer Need for employment to survive Lack of support on campus (academic, social, mental health) Lack of financial support (scholarships) Low expectations from family, others

4. Federal Financial Aid Youth who meet the definition of “independent student” can apply for federal aid without parental income information or signature. Unaccompanied homeless youth are automatically considered independent students. Must be verified as unaccompanied and homeless during the school year when application is submitted. Youth who are unaccompanied, at risk of homelessness, and self-supporting are also automatically considered independent students Must be verified as such during the school year in which the application is submitted.

5. Federal Financial Aid (cont.) Verification must be made by: a McKinney-Vento Act school district liaison a HUD homeless assistance program director or their designee a Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program director or their designee a financial aid administrator. Youth in foster care and those who aged out of foster care are also automatically considered independent students. Youth who have been in foster care at any time after age 13 will automatically be considered independent students as of July 1, 2010. Sample verification template at www.naehcy.org

6. Supporting Documents FAFSA Tips for Unaccompanied Youth FAFSA Tips for Foster Youth Helping Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Access College Financial Aid Income Tax and the FAFSA for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Verification For the Purposes of Federal Financial Aid http://www.naehcy.org/higher_ed.html 6

7. Application and Verification Guide Located on ED website at http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/0910AVG.html If a student does not have, and cannot get, verification from a liaison, RHYA provider, or HUD provider, a financial aid administrator must make a determination of homeless/unaccompanied status This is not an exercise of professional judgment or a dependency override, but should be processed as such for this year; a separate question will be added next year

8. Application and Verification Guide - 2 Determinations should be made on a case-by-case basis (see NCHE’s Determining Eligibility http://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf) A student living in a dormitory who would otherwise be homeless should be considered homeless A student fleeing abuse and living in homeless living situations may be considered homeless even if the parent would provide a place to live

9. Application and Verification Guide - 3 No prescribed documentation for FAA evaluation of living arrangements, but it must demonstrate that student meets the definition Determination may be made on the basis of a documented interview with the student if no written documentation is available FAAs may rely upon a determination from another school that a student met definition Students older than 21 but younger than 24 who would otherwise meet the definition qualify for a dependency override

10. FAFSA Changes New Draft FAFSA available for public comment by November 4 Comments may be submitted electronically through e-mail to FAFSA.Comments@ed.gov Draft FAFSA is on the web: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/fafsa/1011FAFSADraft.html

11. FAFSA Changes Questions 56-58 on draft FAFSA are for homeless youth Notes define “youth” as 21 or under or still in high school when signed Notes tell youth to answer “no” if they do not have a determination, but do not instruct on how to get a determination from liaison

12. College Access Programs TRIO: six federal programs at high school, college, or consortia GEAR UP: middle school through high school Reauthorized as part of the Higher Education Opportunities Act

13. TRIO: The Perfect Partner Expertise in college access success with underserved populations Community-based partners Collaborative relationships with education service providers Trusting relationships with students as they move through the system Have respect within the higher education community

14. Participating in TRIO • The school district liaison is able to verify that a student is homeless or an unaccompanied youth. • Not all homeless students and unaccompanied youth will identify themselves as homeless.

15. Higher Education Opportunities Act 2008 • TRIO programs must “identify and make available services..including mentoring, tutoring, and other services provided…” to: • Youth in foster care • Youth who left foster care after age 13 • Homeless children and youth • All three groups are automatically eligible to participate in Talent Search, Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and Educational Opportunity Centers.

16. HEOA 2008 andHomelessness (cont.) • TS, UB, SSS and EOC funds may be used to provide programs and activities specially designed for: • Homeless children and youth • Foster youth • English language learners • Students with disabilities • Other disconnected students

17. HEOA and Homelessness • SSS has a new goal to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of homeless children and youth. • SSS funds can be used to secure temporary housing during breaks in the academic year for homeless children and youth and foster youth.

18. TRIO and GEAR-UP in PA • PA Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel: www.paeopp.org • PA State GEAR UP www.pagearup.org

19. Strategies Ensure that high school counselors are aware of the definition of unaccompanied homeless youth, as well as the changes to the FAFSA. Inform RHYA providers, and all HUD Homeless Assistance providers, that they are authorized by law to verify a youth’s status as homeless and unaccompanied for financial aid purposes.

20. Strategies, 2 Develop relationships with local financial aid administrators to inform them about unaccompanied homeless youth, about your role as school district liaisons, and about the new FAFSA provisions. Remember that these provisions are still relatively new, and many financial aid administrators have not had experience with the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of homelessness, or school district liaisons.

21. Strategies, 3 Use a standard homeless verification form to facilitate communication between schools, service providers, and colleges. www.naehcy.org. Modify as needed, and put on agency letterhead. Help homeless youth access financial aid by connecting them to FAFSA Completion Help Events in Pennsylvania, Jan-April. PA Higher Education Association - www.pheaa.org

22. Strategies, 4 Find out if your community is served by a TRIO or GEAR UP program Establish a relationship with appropriate staff to let them know of the needs of the homeless students in your community anddiscuss ways to collaborate.

23. Contact Information Barbara Duffield Policy Director National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Phone: 202.364.7392 Email: bduffield@naehcy.org Web: www.naehcy.org