The FAFSA: Bridging the Divide: Challenges for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

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The FAFSA Bridging the DivideChallenges for
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

• Marcal Graham, Ed.D
• University of Maryland Educational Opportunity
  Center (UM-EOC)

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UM-EOC Who are we?

• UM-EOC is one of few TRIO programs based in the
  community situated in Prince Georges County,
  Maryland.
• Mission Inform and assist adults interested in
  enrolling in and pursuing post-secondary
  education options and opportunities by providing
  admissions and financial aid applications,
  advice, counseling and related services.
• Target population Adults 19 and older who are
  low income and first generation potential college
  students, veterans, and individuals who reside in
  on of the targeted communities in Prince Georges
  County.
• UM-EOC has been around for 16 years.

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UM-EOC Helping Families and Students with the
FAFSA

• UM-EOC conducts extensive outreach in various
  communities in Prince Georges County.
• Partnership with various social agencies in the
  county and PGCLS (Prince Georges County Library
  System) has made UM-EOC even more aware of the
  plight of homeless students in the county because
  of obvious financial limitations and living
  conditions. Sometimes we get referrals from other
  partnering organizations to our office, but you
  must go to areas homeless students frequent which
  happen to be libraries.

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FAFSA The Needs of Students

• The Federal Pell Grant Program provides
  need-based grants to low-income undergraduate
  students.
• Submitting the Free Application for Federal
  Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1st deadline is
  critical to students trying to pay for college.
• The FAFSA is the form required of any student
  seeking federal financial aid, including student
  grants, work study, and loans. The application
  can also be used to apply for most state and some
  private financial aid. (www.fafsa.ed.gov)

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FAFSA Eligibility

• All students are eligible to apply for student
  financial assistance.
• Students must apply each year in order to be
  considered for financial aid!!
• Many students do not apply for financial aid
  because they believe that they are not eligible,
  or do not understand how to fill out necessary
  information on the FAFSA.
• You can complete the FAFSA online. FAFSA
  information should be completed based on the
  information of the parent you lived with the most
  during the last 12 months.

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FAFSA Dependency

• If you are considered dependent, then your
  parent/s will need to have completed their tax
  information from the previous year in order to
  fill out information on the FAFSA.
• If parents are unable to provide this
  information, complete as much of the FAFSA as
  possible, it will guide them to a drop-down menu
  that will say will file so continue filling out
  the FAFSA document.

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FAFSA Classification as Independent

• Under the federal definition, an independent
  student is one who meets at least one of the
  following conditions
• Is 24 years old
• Is a veteran of U.S. Armed Forces
• Is an orphan or a ward of the court
• Had legal dependents other than a spouse
• Is married
• Is a graduate or professional student
• Was in foster care at age 13
• Is homeless or an Unaccompanied Minor as
  certified by an official government agency

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FAFSA and Homeless designation

• The language on the FAFSA for those who fit the
  criteria for being homeless, at any time on or
  after July 1, 2014, were you determined to be an
  unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were
  self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, as
  determined by a) your high school or district
  homeless liaison, b) the director of an emergency
  shelter or transitional housing program funded by
  the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
  Development, or c) the director of a runaway or
  homeless youth basic center or transitional
  living program. Answer yes or no
  (Studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/filling-out/dependency)

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What happens to students missing the designation?

• According to the FAFSA, if you do not have a
  determination that you are homeless, but you
  believe you are an unaccompanied youth who is
  homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being
  homeless, answer no to the FAFSA questions
  concerning being homeless. Then contact your
  financial aid office. (studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa).

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Historical Context McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act

• Each state educational agency shall ensure that
  each child of a homeless individual and each
  homeless youth has equal access to the same free,
  appropriate public education including preschool,
  as provided to other children and youth.
  (Subtitle B-Education for Homeless Children
  Youths, Section 721)
• McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act guarantees
  rights and services for homeless youth who are
  endanger of dropping out or school failure.

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What does Unaccompanied homeless youth mean?

• Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act,
  an unaccompanied youth is, a youth not in the
  physical custody of a parent or guardian. This
  means that the youth is not living with a parent
  or guardian, includes youth who are residing with
  a caregiver who does not have legal guardianship
  and youth are living on their own. (National
  Center for Homeless Education at Serve, page 1).
• Homeless children or youth are individuals who
  lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
  residence, and not be in the physical custody of
  a parent or guardian.
• (McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act)

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McKinney-Vento Act Contd

• In the law, Subtitle B of title VII of the
  McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act
  (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq) in the area of
  comparable service, each homeless child or
  youth to be assisted under this subtitle shall be
  provided services comparable to services offered
  to other students in school selected under
  paragraph (3).

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FAFSA Terms Denoting Homeless Students

• Homeless Lack fixed, regular, and adequate
  housing.
• Self-supporting When a student pays for his own
  living expenses including fixed, regular, and
  adequate living.
• Unaccompanied When a student is not living in
  the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

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FAFSA Homeless Students

• According to FAFSAs Application and Verification
  Guide, A student is considered homeless if he
  lacks a fixed, regular and adequate housing. It
  includes temporary living with other people
  because they had nowhere to go living in
  substandard housing, living in motels, emergency
  or transitional shelters, abandoned buildings,
  camping grounds, cars, parks, living in dorms if
  the student would otherwise be homeless.

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Homeless Determination

• Documentation by recognized third party along
  with written documentation by student done on a
  case by case basis.
• Who makes this determination?
• School district homeless liaison/advocates
• State homeless education coordinator
• Public Private Shelter Providers
• College Access Programs (TRIO and GearUp)
• High School Counselors

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Local Homeless Education Liaisons

• Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every school must
  appoint a local homeless education liaison to
  serve as the key homeless education contact in
  the district.
• The local liaison monitors the implementation of
  the McKinney-Vento Act within the district
  ensuring that eligible children are indentified
  and provided with rights and services to which
  they are entitled (National Center for Homeless
  Education).

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High School Counselors, Advocates, Liasions

• Prince Georges County Public Schools (PGCPS)
  have professionals onsite that assist high
  counselors. In addition, they conduct home visits
  to make determinations on the status of
  students. 
• These individuals are called PPW's (Pupil
  Personnel Workers) and their jobs are similar to
  social workers who monitor the needs of those
  individual homeless students who are having
  difficulty with attendance, appearance, grades
  and behaviors. 
•  

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Homeless Students Transitional Housing

• What many transitional facilities provide in
  Prince Georges County
• Objective is 1)Housing Stabilization,
  2)Employment, 3)Transition to Permanent
• Housing Counseling Placement
• Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Medical/Dental
  Counseling
• Employment and Education Training Services
• Life Skills
• Financial Management
• Follow-Up Counseling

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Transitional Housing Programs in DC-Metro Area

• Most transitional housing programs try to provide
  a safe structured living environment and
  resources for homeless individuals.
• Many require you to be alcohol and drug free for
  at least 90 days.
• Must not have any active warrants and not
  registered as a sex offender.
• Most programs have a maximum time of stay not to
  exceed 24 months.

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FAFSA and Hurdles for Homeless Students

• Are homeless students in the right mindset
  (i.e. ask questions and follow-through) to seek
  out help for the FAFSA? Can they rise above the
  stigma?
• Lack of access to school records and other
  paperwork may be an issue.
• Difficulty accumulating credits due to school
  mobility
• What is the level of FAFSA assistance (i.e. high
  counselors and advocates) for homeless students
  at high and college level?
• Lack of support from a caring adult and basic
  needs being met (i.e. hunger, fatigue, poor
  health).