Christina Dukes, Program Specialist, [e-mail]

1
Supporting Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in
Accessing Higher Education

• Christina Dukes, Program Specialist,cdukes_at_serve.
  org
• Jennifer Martin, Senior Content Development
  Specialist, martinj_at_nasfaa.org

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Foundational Documents

• The McKinney-Vento Act and Policy Guidance,
  available at http//center.serve.org/nche/m-v.php
• The Application and Verification Guide (AVG),
  available at http//center.serve.org/nche/ibt/high
  er_ed.php

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Who are Unaccompanied Students?

• 2-step process
• Does the students living arrangement meet the
  McKinney-Vento Acts definition of homeless?
• Once homelessness is determined, is the student
  unaccompanied?
• Unaccompanied not in the physical custody of a
  parent or guardian
• Students can be eligible regardless of whether
  they were forced from the home or left the home
• Youth or parents may or may not disclose the full
  nature of the family issues these are often very
  personal discussions

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Higher Education Basics

• College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA)
• FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• EFC Expected Family Contribution
• Dependent Student
• Must report parent information on FAFSA
• EFC is calculated based on parents and students
  income and assets
• Independent Student
• Does NOT report parent information on FAFSA
• EFC is calculated based on students income and
  assets
• Youth age 21 or younger age 22-23 can be
  independent by dependency override

TheBasics
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Classification as INDEPENDENT

• Independent if ANY of these are true
• Married
• 24 Years Old
• Veteran Or On Active Duty
• Graduate Student
• Has a Legal Dependent (child/other)
• Orphan/Ward of the Court/In a Legal Guardianship
• Legally Emancipated Minor
• In foster care at age 13 or older
• Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
• Independent by Professional Judgment

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Determining Independent Student Status for UHY

• Determinations can be made by
• Local liaison (graduating high school seniors)
• Runaway and Homeless Youth Act funded shelter
  director or designee (where youth received
  services)
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  funded shelter director or designee (where youth
  received services)
• College Financial Aid Administrator
• Local Liaisons and State Coordinators can play an
  advocacy role in cases where they are not making
  the official determination

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Independent Status for Unaccompanied Students

• CCRAA uses the McKinney-Vento definition of
  homeless
• Includes a student living in the dorms if he/she
  would otherwise be homeless
• Includes a homeless student fleeing an abusive
  parent, even if the parent would provide housing
  and support

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2012-2013 Online FAFSA
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2012-2013 Online FAFSA
Encourage students to complete the FAFSA online.
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2012-13 PDF FAFSA
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Notes from the 2012-13 PDF FAFSA
No general 4th question included in the PDF
FAFSA.
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2011-12 Application and Verification Guide

• Guidance on verification by FAAs
• Verification of yes answers on the FAFSA is not
  required unless there is conflicting information
• FAA may verify the status with a documented
  interview with the student
• Encourages discretion and sensitivity when
  gathering information
• Some information may be confidential (e.g.,
  protected by doctor-patient privilege)
• Child welfare or police reports are not necessary
• Recommends consulting with local liaisons, State
  Coordinators, NCHE, school counselors, clergy,
  etc.
• Eligibility determinations may be appealed to the
  school or the U.S. Department of Education

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Determination vs. Verification

• Determination refers to making the original
  decision that a student meets the definition of
  unaccompanied homeless youth and, therefore,
  qualifies as an independent student
• Verification has a specific meaning in the FAA
  world
• Verification is the process of checking, through
  the submission of documentation, that an
  applicant correctly reported information on the
  FAFSA. If a student has been selected for
  verification, it is generally because either ED
  or the school thinks that information has been
  reported inaccurately
• Other useful terms
• Confirmation
• Documentation

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Tax Issues

• Tax issues and FAFSA issues operate in separate
  domains
• The IRS definition of dependent for tax
  purposes is different that the FAFSAs definition
  of dependent for financial aid purposes
• A youth should file a tax return if they are
  required by the tax code to do so
• It is possible for a student to meet the
  definition of independent for financial aid
  purposes but meet the definition of dependent
  for tax purposes, thereby enabling the parent to
  claim the student as a dependent legally
• If a parent commits tax fraud in any way, the
  student is not liable for this they would only
  be held liable if they participated actively and
  knowingly in the fraud

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First Steps

• Connect with team members Higher education,
  homeless education, other educators (guidance
  counselors, social workers, etc.), pre-collegiate
  associations (GEAR UP, TRIO, etc.)
• Have an updated list of local liaisons available
  to share with team members
• Have a list of HUD and RHYA shelters available
• Have the UHY excerpt of the AVG at the ready

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First Steps (cont)

• Use available templates NAEHCY determination
  documentation template and NCHE FAA Documentation
  Tool
• When talking with a higher education audience,
  team up with a higher education member so they
  can talk the talk
• Homeless education issues may be very new to FAAs
  and other team members be prepared to be patient
  and help them learn the ropes youll catch
  more flies with honey
• Want to get involved in NAEHCY Higher Education
  Committee efforts? Let us know!

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Tips

• When using the determination documentation
  template with service providers, address HIPPA
  concerns by having students sign giving consent
  to share information with institutions of higher
  education
• Fill out a template for all graduating seniors,
  even if they arent sure if theyll continue on
  to higher education give a copy to the student,
  the local liaison, and the guidance counselor
  working with the student
• Ensure students have e-mail addresses can get
  free accounts through yahoo.com or gmail.com, if
  needed
• Ensure students use their legal names that appear
  on vital documents, not their street names, on
  all financial aid paperwork

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More Information

• NCHE websitehttp//center.serve.org/nche/ibt/hig
  her_ed.phphttp//center.serve.org/nche/best/highe
  r_ed.php
• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youthhttp//www.naehcy.org
  /higher_ed.html
• http//www.naehcy.org/tk/tk.html
• National Association of Student Financial Aid
  Administratorshttp//www.nasfaa.org/

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Regional and Local Contacts

• Regional and State Associations of Student
  Financial Aid Administratorshttp//www.nasfaa.org
  /States/Directory_of_Associations.aspx
• NACAC (National Association of College Admission
  Counselors) Affiliateshttp//www.nacacnet.org/Abo
  utNACAC/Governance/sra/Pages/default.aspx
• Council for Opportunities in Education Member
  Associationshttp//www.coenet.us/ecm/AM/Template.
  cfm?SectionMember_Associations
• State College Goal Sunday Associationshttp//www.
  collegegoalsundayusa.org/studentsFamilies/where.ht
  m

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Resources

• NCHE Higher Education Briefwww.serve.org/nche/bri
  efs.php
• NCHE/NASFAA Higher Education Posterwww.serve.org/
  nche/pr/he_poster.php
• NAEHCY Determination Template Unaccompanied
  Homeless Youth Verification For the Purposes of
  Federal Financial Aidwww.naehcy.org/higher_ed.htm
  l
• NAEHCY Income Tax and the FAFSA for
  Unaccompanied Homeless Youthwww.naehcy.org/higher
  _ed.html
• NCHE/NAEHCY FAA Tool Available soon