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What You Need to Know to Comply with F ederal Policies for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

What You Need to Know to Comply with F ederal Policies for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. Presenters. Ginger Arvin, Homeless Liaison, Indianapolis Public Schools Mark Delorey , Director of Financial Aid, Western Michigan University Barbara Duffield, Policy Director, NAEHCY

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What You Need to Know to Comply with F ederal Policies for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

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  1. What You Need to Know to Comply with Federal Policies for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

  2. Presenters Ginger Arvin, Homeless Liaison, Indianapolis Public Schools Mark Delorey, Director of Financial Aid, Western Michigan University Barbara Duffield, Policy Director, NAEHCY Crystal Haslett, Homeless Liaison, Metropolitan School District of Washington Township Cyekeia Lee, National Higher Education Liaison, NAEHCY

  3. How Many Youth Experience Homelessness? • 1.6 to 1.7 million youth run from home each year • Public schools enrolled 1,166,339 homeless children and youth in 2011-12 • 10% increase over the previous year • 71% increase since 2006-2007 (recession)

  4. Why Are Youth Homeless andOn Their Own? Physical and sexual abuse Parental drug and alcohol abuse Abandoned or neglected Kicked out due to sexual orientation or pregnancy

  5. Homeless Youth and Foster Care Youth in foster care returned to unstable/unsafe arrangements Youth adopted from foster care, but kicked out after age 18 Youth exit foster care without adequate housing and/or supports Youth fear foster care and hide from it

  6. Definitions • HEA contains definitions of “unaccompanied” and “homeless” • These definitions match the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act • McKinney-Vento Act: a federal law that provides protections and services for homeless children and youth in the K-12 education system

  7. Definitions, Continued • Unaccompanied: not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian • Homeless: lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing. • Specifically includes sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; motels; shelters; transitional housing

  8. Why So Broad a Definition? Shelters do not exist in suburban and rural areas Existing shelters are full Shelters have restrictive rules Motels unavailable, or too expensive Unaccompanied youth fear adult shelters Shelters often have time limits Youth may be unaware of alternatives, fleeing in crisis

  9. Where Do Most Homeless Youth Live? • ED collects data annually from all public school districts • In the 2011-2012 School Year: • 75% were sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason • 15% were in shelters • 5% were in motels • 3% were unsheltered

  10. Definition of Youth • The McKinney-Vento Act, the Higher Education Act, and HUD’s Homeless Programs do not define “youth.” • However, the U.S. Department of Education has defined “youth” in the notes of the FAFSA to mean age 21 or younger.

  11. Independent Student Status Youth who are determined to be unaccompanied and homeless in the year in which they are submitting their FAFSA are independent students.

  12. Who Makes Determinations? • School District homeless liaison • RHYA-funded shelter director or designee • HUD-funded shelter director or designee • College financial aid administrator

  13. Application and Verification Guide • Verification is not required unless there is conflicting information • If a student does not have, and cannot get, documentation from a local liaison, RHYA provider, or HUD provider, a FAA must make a determination of homeless/unaccompanied status based on the legaldefinitionsA documented interview (even via phone) is acceptable • Should be done with discretion and sensitivity

  14. Determination Process for FAAs • This is not professional judgment or a dependency override; a determination must be made • Two Step Process: • Does the student meet the legal definition of homeless? • Does the student meet the definition of unaccompanied?

  15. NAEHCY Survey: Liaisons

  16. Perspective: Complexity • Application & Verification Guide is clear • Definitions are WAY easier than what we had for year-round Pell, Borrower-Based, UEH • Verification is NOT required • Conflicting information rules apply • If the student has documentation from their district homeless liaison, or the director of a shelter for homeless or runaways, they are eligible

  17. Perspective: Complexity • If there is no documentation, FAO must determine based on the definition already covered • UHY is not a PJ – Dependency Override • Determine if the student meets the criteria • We don’t Decide if the student should be independent • Don’t ask Why “Didn’t get along vs. ….”

  18. Perspective: False Positives • All statuses have false positives • Establish dialogue with the student • If not UHY, then what? • Would PJ be appropriate? • Instruct them to apply as dependent!

  19. Resources NAEHCY Higher Education Hotline: 855-446-2673 Website:http://naehcy.org/educational-resources/higher-ed CyekeiaLee, Higher Education Liaison, clee@naehcy.org FAFSA Tips for Unaccompanied Youth Without Stable Housing Eligibility Tool/Questions for FAAs Determination Template/Form Helping Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Access College Toolkit

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