The McKinney-Vento Act Title X, Part C of NCLB

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The McKinney-Vento ActTitle X, Part C of NCLB

• Dana Scott
• State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless
  Children and Youth
• Scott_d_at_cde.state.co.us
• 303-866-6930

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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

• Unaccompanied homeless youth are young people who
  lack safe, stable housing and who are not in the
  care of a parent or guardian
• They live in a variety of temporary situations,
  including shelters, the homes of friends or
  relatives, cars, campgrounds, public parks,
  abandoned buildings, motels, and bus or train
  stations

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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

• By law, Districts must
• Identify and verify eligibility as defined by the
  McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• Assist unaccompanied homeless youth in school
  enrollment and placement decisions
• Ensure unaccompanied homeless homeless youth are
  enrolled immediately and are fully participating
  in school
• Facilitate dispute resolution process, if needed
• Connect unaccompanied homeless youth with school
  and community resources

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What About College? Can Unaccompanied Homeless
Youth Apply for Federal Financial Aid?

• Yes, with assistance from advocates
• Due to severe poverty, they are extremely
  unlikely to be able to access postsecondary
  education without federal student aid
• The FAFSA requires most students to provide
  financial information and signatures from
  parents/guardians
• These requirements create insurmountable barriers

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College Cost Reduction and Access Act

• In September of 2007, President Bush signed into
  law the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of
  2007
• Included within this legislation are amendments
  to expand the definition of independent student
  in FAFSA to include
• (1) unaccompanied homeless youth
• (2) youth who are in foster care at any time
  after the age of 13 or older, and
• (3) youth who are emancipated minors or are in
  legal guardianships as determined by an
  appropriate court in the individual's state of
  residence.

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College Cost Reduction Act

• Youth can be independent students if they are
  verified as unaccompanied and homeless during the
  school year in which the application is
  submitted, or unaccompanied, at risk of
  homelessness, and self-supporting
• Verification must be made by one of the
  following
• a McKinney-Vento Act school district liaison
• a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
  Development homeless assistance program director
  or their designee
• a Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program director
  or their designee, or
• a financial aid administrator

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Changes to FAFSA

• Questions 55 60 simplify application process
  for unaccompanied youth who were homeless or at
  risk of being homeless (as well as foster youth,
  dependent/wards of the court, emancipated minors
  and youth in legal guardianship)
• Students who answer yes to a question 58 60 can
  now submit FAFSA application but will be asked
  later for documentation (from a homeless liaison,
  director of an emergency shelter program, or
  director of a runaway or homeless youth basic
  center or transitional living program)

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FAFSA Resources

• FAFSA Tips for Unaccompanied Youth Without Stable
  Housing
• http//www.naehcy.org/dl/fafsa_tips_09-10.doc
• Helping Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Access
  College Financial Aid
• http//www.naehcy.org/dl/uy_higher_ed.doc
• Higher Education Act Reauthorization Homeless
  and Foster Youth
• http//www.naehcy.org/dl/hea_summ.doc

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FAFSA Resources

• Income Tax and the FAFSA for Unaccompanied
  Homeless Youth
• http//www.naehcy.org/dl/tax_fafsa.doc
• Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Verification For the
  Purposes of Federal Financial Aid
• http//www.naehcy.org/dl/uy_fafsa_verif.doc

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State and National Partners in Educating
Homeless Children and Youth

• Colorado Department of Education (CDE)
• Dana Scott, State Coordinator for the Educ. of
  Homeless Children and Youth
• Ph 303-866-6930 Email scott_d_at_cde.state.co.us
• www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprevention/homeless_index.h
  tm
• National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)
• www.serve.org/nche Ph 336-315-7453
• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)- Barbara
  Duffield, National Policy Advisor
• www.naehcy.org Ph [phone]
• National Law Center on Homelessness Poverty
  (NLCHP)
• www.nlchp.org Ph 202-638-2535