MASFAA 2013
October 6th – 9th, 2013
Indianapolis, Indiana
What You Need to Know to Comply with Federal 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 Crystal Haslett, Homeless Liaison,
Metropolitan School District of Washington Township
Cyekeia Lee, National Higher Education Liaison, NAEHCY
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)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
Who Makes Determinations?
School District homeless liaison RHYA-funded shelter director or
designee HUD-funded shelter director or
designee College financial aid
administrator
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 legal definitionsA documented interview (even via phone) is acceptable
◊ Should be done with discretion and sensitivity
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?
NAEHCY Survey: Liaisons
No barri-ers en-
countered
After a student’s first year, financial aid office required burden-
some documen-
tation
Financial aid office unaware of policies for unac-
com-panied
homeless youth
Financial aid office insensi-
tive/intim-idating to students/providers
Financial aid office required
student to obtain
additional documen-
tation
Don’t know who to contact for help at
ED
Financial aid office would not accept a
statement from a
school li-aison
No appeal process if financial aid office refuses to
accept youth’s
homeless status
22 and 23 year old
homeless students must ask
for de-pendency override
Financial aid office would not accept a
statement from other
agency/person
Financial aid office would not accept a
statement from a
homeless provider
When we contacted ED, they did not help re-
solve the situation
Series1 45.7% 29.6% 18.4% 15.2% 15.2% 12.6% 9.4% 9.4% 9.0% 8.1% 0.9% 0.0%
2.5%
7.5%
12.5%
17.5%
22.5%
27.5%
32.5%
37.5%
42.5%
47.5% 45.7%
29.6%
18.4%
15.2% 15.2%12.6%
9.4% 9.4% 9.0% 8.1%
0.9% 0.0%
Barriers Reported by LEA Homeless Liaisons
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
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. ….”
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!
Resources
NAEHCY Higher Education Hotline:855-446-2673
Website:http://naehcy.org/educational-resources/higher-ed
Cyekeia Lee, Higher Education Liaison, [email protected]
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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