Transcript Homeless and Unaccompanied Youth: Financial Aid Outreach

Homeless and
Unaccompanied Youth:
Financial Aid Outreach
Strategies
2009 Fall Conference
Follow the STARs
November 1 – 4, 2009
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Awareness of homelessness
Barriers to education caused by
homelessness
Overview of the McKinney-Vento Act and
definition of homeless
Awareness of unaccompanied youth
Ways higher education institutions can
assist with access and success
Topics for Today
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Lack of affordable housing
Poverty - mean income is 46% of poverty
Health problems
Domestic violence
Natural and other disasters
Abuse/neglect/abandonment (unaccompanied
youth)
Causes of Homelessness
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10% of all children living in poverty
1.6-1.7 million youth run away each year
Over 40% of all children who are homeless are
under the age of 5
Nationwide, 794,617 homeless students
enrolled in public schools in the 2007-08 school
year - 17% increase over previous year
Total for North Carolina in 2007-2008: 16,937 –
25% increase
How Many Children and Youth
Experience Homelessness?
EDUCATION!
What Works in Defeating
Homelessness?
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Enrollment requirements (school records, health
records, proof of residence and guardianship)
High mobility resulting in lack of school stability
and educational continuity
Lack of transportation
Lack of school supplies, clothing, etc.
Poor health, fatigue, hunger, anxiety/trauma
Invisibility (lack of awareness)
Prejudice and misunderstanding
Barriers to Education
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Lack of adult/guardian
Housing challenges
Basic needs
Juggling school and employment
Falling behind in school due to mobility
School attendance and credit accrual policies
Concerns of capture by authorities
Barriers to Education for
Unaccompanied Youth
Reauthorized 2002 by No Child Left Behind - Title
X, Part C
Main themes:
 School stability
 School Access
 Support for academic success
 Child-centered, best interest decision-making
McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act
Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence—
Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing,
economic hardship, or similar reason [65% of
identified students nationwide]
Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping
grounds due to lack of adequate alternative
accommodations [Motels: 7% of identified students
nationwide]
Living in emergency or transitional shelters [21% of
identified students nationwide]
Who is Covered in McKinney-Vento
Awaiting
foster care placement (not defined in
law; state and local interpretations vary)
Living
in a public or private place not designed
for humans to live
Living
in cars, parks, abandoned buildings,
substandard housing, bus or train stations, or
similar settings
Migratory
children living in above circumstances
Eligibility, cont’d
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Shelters are often full; shelters may turn families and
youth away, or put them on waiting lists
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Shelters do not exist in many suburban and rural areas
Eligibility conditions of shelters often exclude families
with boys over the age of 12, or unaccompanied
minors
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Motels may not be available, or may be too expensive
Youth on their own may fear adult shelters
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Shelters often have 30, 60, or 90 day time limits
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Families/youth may be unaware of alternatives, fleeing
in crisis, living in over-crowded, temporary, and
sometimes unsafe environments
Definition: Why So Broad?
Eligibility
• Case-by-case determination
• Get as much information as possible (without
intimidating the parent or youth)
• Look at the McKinney-Vento definition (specific
examples in the definition first, then overall
definition)
NCHE’s Determining Eligibility brief is available at
http://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf
Determining Eligibility
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Every Local Education Agency – LEA - (school
district) must designate a liaison for students in
homeless situations
Responsibilities:
– Ensure that children and youth in homeless
situations are identified through school and
community
– Ensure that homeless students enroll in and have
full and equal opportunity to succeed in school
– Make referrals for health, mental health, and other
services, and ensure that homeless children
receive Head Start and preschool programs
administered by school districts
McKinney-Vento Personnel
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Inform parents, guardians, or youth of educational
and parent involvement opportunities
Post public notice of educational rights
Resolve disputes
Collaborate and coordinate with community and
school personnel
Assist homeless students in accessing higher
education resources including assessment tests,
admissions applications, and financial aid
Homeless Liaisons
How do I contact homeless liaisons?
Contact the Office of State Coordinator for the
Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
Most State Coordinators maintain updated
lists of all liaisons (often on the State
Department of Education web site). See
http://www.serve.org/nche for a list of all
state coordinators
Contacting Homeless Liaisons
Definition: child or youth who meets the definition of
homeless and is not in the physical custody of a
parent or guardian.
Why aren’t these youth at home?
 Studies have found that 20 to 50 percent of
unaccompanied youth were sexually abused in their
homes, while 40 to 60 percent were physically
abused.
 Over two-thirds of callers to Runaway Hotline report
that at least one of their parents abuses drugs or
alcohol.
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Unaccompanied Youth: Who Are
They?
Sporadic school attendance due to lack of
housing, clothing, and other basic necessities
Unawareness of SAT/ACT fee waivers
Lack of support to attend admissions/financial aid
programs
Lack of college access information in shelters,
foster homes, social service departments, etc.
Barriers to Higher Education
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Unmet basic needs
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No access to parental/guardian financial
information
Shame in sharing details of their lives
Unaware of homeless definition and
accompanying rights/services
Unaware of professional judgment providing
independent status
Lack of living arrangements during school
breaks
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◦ Safety, nutrition, health care, transportation
Barriers to Higher Education
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Youth who meet the definition of “independent student”
can apply for federal aid without parental income
information or signature.
Unaccompanied youth are automatically considered
independent students.
◦ Must be verified as unaccompanied and homeless during the
school year when application is submitted.
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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.
Federal Financial Aid
Expands the definition of independent student:
-Unaccompanied and Homeless youth
-Youth who are in foster care at any time after
the age of 13 or older
-Youth who are emancipated minors or are in
legal guardianships as determined by an
appropriate court in the individual’s state of
residence
College Cost Reduction and Access
Act
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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.
Verification
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No verification from homeless liaison
◦ Was not identified in high school
◦ Became homeless after high school
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No advocacy in higher education
◦ Gaps in regulations and explanations
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No understanding of “determination”
◦ FAFSA questions 56-58 limited
◦ Instructions broader, but confusing
Requested to provide confirmation of
abuse
 Suspicions of misrepresentation in order
to obtain aid
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Being Denied Aid
Get the information out to college access and
social services
Work with ACT/SAT to provide waiver information
outside of high schools
Provide Webinar trainings for financial aid
administrators on homeless population
Train homeless liaisons and shelter staff on basic
college access and financial aid resources
Provide information to unaccompanied youth
Ways to Fill the Gaps
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Establish a North Carolina Task Force to
address college access and success for
homeless students
Create a network of higher education
professionals
Identify the gaps in current federal
regulations
Provide resources and training to all parties
Influence policy to create a pipeline of higher
education services
Create a single point of contact in every
college for homeless students for access and
completion
Proposal
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Where are the areas of conflict?
Concerns when faced with determining
homeless/unaccompanied youth status
How should they be addressed?
What has worked well on your campus?
What information/resources would be
helpful?
What do you see as next steps?
Discussion
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Diana Bowman
◦ Director
◦ National Center for
Homeless Education
◦ 336-315-7453
◦ [email protected]
◦ http://www.serve.org
/nche
Presenters
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Marcia Weston
◦ Director
◦ College Goal Sunday
Operations
◦ 312-502-7185
◦ marcia.weston@ymca
.net