IDENTIFYING & ASSISTING UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH

Transcription

1 IDENTIFYING & ASSISTING UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH Faith Phillips, Central Ohio Technical College/The Ohio State University Newark Kim Jeffers, PNC Bank

2 OASFAA CONFERENCE SPONSOR SPRING 2016 Thank you to Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc. for their sponsorship of the OASFAA 2016 Spring Conference!

3 TODAY S GOALS Identify state and local homeless liaisons Identify online resources Understand Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY) definitions Understand the regulations in relationship to identifying homeless/at risk students Understand the regulations in relationship to simplifying the determination process for the student Appreciate the importance of providing services (including designating a Single Point of Contact {SPOC} for this population)

4 HOMELESSNESS STATISTICS 28,593 homeless children living in Ohio 1,298,450 homeless children in the U.S. Approximately 56,000 homeless attending college nationally

5 THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT The McKinney-Vento Act o Federal education law (NCLB Title X, Part C) o Designed to ensure school access and promote school success for children and youth who are considered homeless. Every school district must designate a McKinney-Vento (MV) District Liaison o The key to McKinney-Vento Act implementation. o Ensures identification, enrollment, transportation, services, dispute resolution, and awareness. Every state must designate an MV State Liaison o Ms. Susannah Wayland, Homeless Coordinator, Ohio Department of Education o o Local School District Liaison

6 FINANCIAL AID IMPLICATIONS CCCRA expanded definition of independent student to include homeless student as defined by the MV Act A student is independent if at any time on or after July 1, 2015, he is determined to be: o An unaccompanied youth who is homeless, OR o An unaccompanied youth who is self-supporting and at risk of being homeless

7 WHO MAKES THE STATUS DETERMINATION? Determination can be made by o School district homeless liaison o The director (or designee) of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by HUD o Director (or designee) of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program, OR o In the case of none of the above, the FAA must determine

8 FAFSA QUESTIONS 56. At any time on or after July 1, 2015, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 57. At any time on or after July 1, 2015, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 58. At any time on or after July 1, 2015, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or was selfsupporting and at risk of being homeless?

9 APPLICANTS WHO CAN ANSWER YES Applicant meets definition if he answers yes to FAFSA questions 56, 57 or 58 o If a student answers yes to unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) questions, FAA is not required to confirm/verify the answers unless there is conflicting information o If conflicting information exists, a documented phone call or written statement from the relevant authority is sufficient o If you suspect the agency is wrong or the agency is abusing the system, contact the relevant oversight authority

10 APPLICANTS WHO CAN T ANSWER YES If applicant believes he is homeless or at risk of being homeless, but unable to answer yes to the FAFSA questions, he should contact the financial aid office FAA is required to make an unaccompanied homeless youth determination upon applicant s request o Collect written documentation, if available o If written documentation is not available, FAA may make the determination solely on a documented interview with the applicant

11 HOMELESS YOUTH DEFINITIONS Homeless - Lacking fixed, regular and adequate housing o Fixed Stationary and permanent Not likely to change o Regular Used on a predictable, consistent, or routine basis o Adequate Sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in the home At risk of being homeless o Is the student s housing likely to be cease being fixed, regular and adequate? o Is the student at risk of homelessness due to eviction or other housing loss?

12 HOMELESS YOUTH DEFINITIONS Self-supporting o Student pays for his own living expenses, including fixed, regular and adequate housing Unaccompanied o Not in the physical company of a parent or guardian Youth o 21 years of age or younger OR o Still enrolled in high school as of the date the FAFSA is signed What about applicants who meet all definitions other then youth? (Older than 21, but not yet 24).

13 EXAMPLES OF HOMELESSNESS Sharing the house of others Living in motels, hotels, or camping grounds Living in an emergency or transitional shelter Awaiting foster care placement Living in places not designed for humans to live Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus, or train stations Migratory children also qualify as homeless when living under these conditions

14 WHY IS THE DEFINITION SO BROAD? Shelters are often full, turning youth away There are no shelters in many suburban/rural areas Eligibility rules of shelters often exclude unaccompanied minors Youth may fear adult shelters Shelters often have 30-, 60-, or 90-day time limits Youth may be unaware of alternatives, fleeing in crisis, living in over-crowded, temporary, and sometimes unsafe environments Shelters often are a last resort after all other possibilities are exhausted

15 WHAT CAUSES HOMELESSNESS AMONG UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH? Family dysfunction o Conflict with step-parents o Conflict over youth s sexual orientation o Conflict over youth s pregnancy o Family violence o Loss of parents (due to incarceration, illness or death) Forced separation o Lack of space in temporary accommodations o Shelter policies that prohibit adolescent boys o Family cannot afford to care for older youth

16 FAA DETERMINATION OF HOMELESSNESS/AT RISK Create a process for determination that is sensitive to the unique needs of these youth. o o o o o Conduct the interview within the same day of the student s college/university visits if at all possible. Do not use the word homeless Do not interview the youth in front of others. If they do not have paperwork, work with them. Let the student use resources that may not be readily available to them, such as the computer, phone or fax machine.

17 SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE HOMELESSNESS Tell me about where you re living. Is this a permanent or temporary arrangement? Where would you go if you couldn t stay where you are? Are you staying with friends/relatives for just a little while? Could your friends/relatives ask you to leave, if they wanted to? Where would you be living in you weren t living in your dorm room?

18 SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR DETERMINING UNACCOMPANIED STATUS Do you live with your parent/guardian? How often do you interact with your parents/guardians? Do your parents/guardians financially support you in any way? Do they pay any bills for you? How long have you been on your own? How long have you been supporting yourself?

19 STUDENT S RIGHT TO CONTEST FAA S DETERMINATION Make sure the student understands he can contest your decision Student can provide supporting documents to be reviewed collaboratively by: o School s general counsel o Financial Aid Director, and o A recognized MV practitioner Student can also appeal to the Department of Education

20 FAFSA AND ISIR SUBMISSION NOT a dependency override Like a DO, the FAA can rely on a determination by another school CPS online or EDE: o Select Homeless Youth Determination (option 4) in dependency override field Paper FAFSA: o Fill in relevant bubble in the College Use Only box Students who don t fit the definition of youth (older than 21/not yet 24), but, meet the homeless definition, are processed as a DO

21 STRATEGIES FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Strive to identify unaccompanied homeless youth at your school o Post information prominently (posters available) o Create awareness of issue office AND campus-wide Help youth connect with on-campus support services. Refer unaccompanied students to student support services, tutors, counselors, etc. upon admission, including programs for students coming out of foster care (needs often are similar). Establish coordination between financial aid offices, student support services, and campus housing. Establish a food and clothing bank on campus. Establish a mentoring or peer program for unaccompanied homeless youth.

22 STRATEGIES FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Train admission s representatives Coordinate with Upward Bound and Trio Plan housing for homeless students when dormitories close; ideas include leaving one residence hall open or establishing a list of host homes in the community. Give youth a list of contact addresses, websites and phone numbers for community services, and offer assistance in connecting with services such as health and mental health care and SNAP/Food Stamps. Establish a Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

23 SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPOC) Safe and supportive college administrator committed to helping unaccompanied homeless youth successfully navigating the college experience SPOC implements a streamlined process to facilitate communication and quick referral between: o Admissions o Financial Aid o Academic Advising o Student Life o Community Resources

24 BENEFITS OF DESIGNATING A SPOC Signals to ALL campus offices the institution s commitment to identifying and assisting unaccompanied homeless youth Reassures the homeless applicant that the institution cares Allows unaccompanied homeless youth to quickly find support Reduces the number of times a student has to repeat, or relive, situations that led to homelessness Ensures at least one staff member will maintain knowledge of federal laws and federal, state, and community guidance pertaining to UHY

25 RESOURCES National Center for Homeless Education, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, Ohio Department of Education, Application and Verification Guide ( Federal Student Aid Handbook) Free Application for Federal Student Aid