Access to Higher Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness

NCHE Resources

Education Goals and Supports: A Guided Discussion Tool

This tool may be used by service providers working with youth and young adults (YYA) experiencing homelessness to guide YYA clients through a discussion of their interests and skills. The tool uses motivational interviewing questions to help determine the client’s interest in pursuing education, provides online resources to help the client explore education and career pathways and determine possible pathway options in areas of interest, includes information on how to pay for higher education, and recommends next steps towards the client’s goals.
Education Goals and Supports: A Guided Discussion Tool.

  • Allegheny County created a complement to the guided discussion tool. It is available on this page in the Other Resources section.
Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Information for Colleges and Universities
Many unaccompanied homeless youth have higher education aspirations, but find the barriers to enrollment and attendance to be overwhelming. This NCHE brief provides a better understanding of unaccompanied homeless youth and the educational and other challenges they face, a summary of federal education legislation that gives unaccompanied homeless youth access to important educational supports, and samples of promising practices implemented by high schools, colleges, and universities to assist unaccompanied homeless youth in succeeding in college.
Download Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Information for Colleges and Universities.
Making Student Status Determinations for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Eligibility Tool for Financial Aid Administrators
This NCHE form is to be completed by a college financial aid administrator (FAA) who is evaluating a student’s eligibility for independent student status. It provides guidance to assist FAAs in making a determination if a student seeking independent student status as an unaccompanied homeless youth comes to the attention of a FAA, including when a determination by a local liaison or shelter is not available.
Download Making Student Status Determinations for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Eligibility Tool for Financial Aid Administrators:
For the 2023-2024 FAFSA
For the 2022-2023 FAFSA
NCHE/NASFAA Higher Education Poster
This 8½ x 11 color poster, created in collaboration with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and based on the unaccompanied homeless youth provisions of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, alerts unaccompanied homeless youth to contact the relevant authorities if they believe they may qualify for independent student status on the FAFSA due to lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The poster is appropriate for posting across high school and college campuses, in HUD-funded and RHYA-funded shelters, and in other community locations where unaccompanied homeless youth may congregate. 
English | Spanish
Supporting College Completion for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Since the College Cost Reduction and Access Act was signed into law in September of 2007, the issue of college access for youth experiencing homelessness has garnered increased attention. Among other provisions, the CCRAA confers independent student status on unaccompanied homeless youth, helping to ensure that unaccompanied homeless youth have access to the financial support necessary to pay for college. Gaining entry to college and securing financial aid, however, are only the first steps along the path to degree completion. This NCHE issue brief explores how several colleges are supporting their homeless student populations with the intention of spotlighting promising practices that may be replicated at other post-secondary institutions across the country.
Go to Supporting College Completion for Students Experiencing Homelessness.

Other Resources

ACT Fee Waiver Eligibility Requirements and Procedures
This two-page brochure from ACT describes the procedures that economically disadvantaged high school juniors or seniors should follow to receive a fee waiver for taking the ACT college entrance exam.
Download the ACT Fee Waiver Eligibility Requirements and Procedures brochure.
Addressing Housing Insecurity and Living Costs in Higher Education
With high rates of college enrollment despite stagnant or declining family incomes and increasing college costs, today many college students are struggling to make ends meets and succeed in school. This Guidebook, developed jointly by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, reviews and explains strategies that institutions of higher education may consider to support their students with housing insecurity and other living costs, as well as examples of these strategies’ implementation.
Download Addressing Housing Insecurity and Living Costs in Higher Education.
Allegheny County Addendum to Education Goals and Supports: A Guided Discussion Tool 

Allegheny County/Pittsburgh, a Round 3 YHDP site, has developed an “addendum” to NCHE’s Education Goals and Supports: A Guided Discussion Tool that provides more details on local education and career supports that complement the Guided Discussion Tool.
Download Allegheny County Guided Discussion Tool addendum.

Application and Verification Guide
This guide from the U.S. Department of Education is intended for financial aid administrators and counselors who help students begin the student aid process: filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), verifying information, and making corrections and other changes to the information reported on the FAFSA. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 states that unaccompanied homeless youth are to be considered independent students when applying for federal financial aid for higher education. See Chapter 5 – Special Cases for specific references to unaccompanied homeless youth.
Download the Application and Verification Guide – 2020-2021.
Barriers to Success: Housing Insecurity for U.S. College Students
This February 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides useful context and statistics on the issue of housing insecurity, including homelessness among U.S. college students.
Download Barriers to Success: Housing Insecurity for U.S. College Students.
Better Make Room: Tools for College Selection
This webpage from Better Make Room, an organization that seeks to inspire students and provide them with the needed resources to continue their education past high school, provides practical tools to help higher education-bound students navigate the college transition process and choose the post-secondary institution that is right for them. Tools include a financial aid shopping sheet, college calculator, college finder, and college scoreboard. Better Make Room supports former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative.
Visit the Better Make Room: Tools for College Selection webpage.
California Community Colleges #RealCollege Survey
The #RealCollege Survey is the nation’s largest annual assessment of basic needs security among college students. The survey, which specifically evaluates access to affordable food and housing, began in 2015 under the Wisconsin HOPE Lab. 
Find the 2020 California Community Colleges #RealCollege Survey.
Check out the Hope Center’s research page and their resource page.
California State University Basic Needs Initiative
The California State University system (CSU) is a national leader in studying the prevalence of food and housing insecurity among college students experiencing homelessness, and identifying and implementing solutions to support students’ basic needs.
Learn more about the CSU Basic Needs Initiative.
Download Serving Displaced and Food Insecure Students in the CSU (January 2016).
Download Study of Student Basic Needs (January 2018).
Download Report on CSU Actions to Support Students Facing Food and Housing Insecurity (February 2018).
College Access and Success for Students Experiencing Homelessness: A Toolkit for Educators and Service Providers
This toolkit from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) serves as a comprehensive resource on the issue of higher education access and success for homeless students, including information on understanding homeless students, assisting homeless students in choosing a school, helping homeless students pay for application-related expenses, assisting homeless students in finding financial aid and scholarships for school, and helping homeless students succeed in college.
Download College Access and Success for Students Experiencing Homelessness: A Toolkit for Educators and Service Providers.
College Board: Information on Access to Higher Education for Undocumented Students
The College Board, a national organization focused on college readiness and access, provides practical and informative resources focused on access to higher education for undocumented students.
Visit Advising Undocumented Students.
Download Repository of Resources for Undocumented Students.
Download Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students.
Equity Made Real: Promising Strategies for Addressing College Student Basic Needs

This report, from the California-based organization, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY), includes information on setting up a campus-based basic needs program for students experiencing housing and food insecurity, including in partnership with K12 and the community.
Download Equity Made Real: Promising Strategies for Addressing College Student Basic Needs.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Website
The FAFSA is the form required by the federal government for application to any federal education aid program. The FAFSA is used to determine the expected family contribution based on family financial information. A FAFSA is used to determine the specific Federal Student Aid programs that can contribute to a student’s total financial aid package and in what proportions. 
Fill out the FAFSA online (recommended over filling out the PDF or paper FAFSA).
Search federal school codes (used to identify colleges/universities on the FAFSA).
Download the 2022-2023 FAFSA in PDF format  in English | in Spanish.
Download the 2020-2021 FAFSA in PDF format.
Call 1-800-4-FED-AID or 1-800-394-7084 to request that a hard copy of the FAFSA be mailed to you.
Food Insecurity: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits
This December 2018 report is from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Increasing evidence indicates that some college students are experiencing food insecurity, which can negatively impact their academic success. However, college students are only eligible for SNAP in certain cases. Given the substantial federal investment in higher education and the risk posed if students do not complete their degrees, GAO was asked to review food insecurity among college students. In the report, GAO examines what is known about the extent of food insecurity among college students and their use of SNAP, how selected colleges are addressing student food insecurity, and the extent to which federal programs assist students experiencing food insecurity and also gives recommendations for additional actions. 
Higher Education: Actions Needed to Improve Access to Federal Financial Assistance for Homeless and Foster Youth
This report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examines college enrollment and completion for foster and homeless youth, the extent to which challenges these youth face affect their ability to pursue college, and the extent to which program barriers hinder these youth from obtaining federal financial assistance for college. The report also recommends concrete strategies the federal government can undertake to improve access to federal financial assistance for unaccompanied homeless youth and foster youth.
Download Higher Education: Actions Needed to Improve Access to Federal Financial Assistance for Homeless and Foster Youth.
Hungry and Homeless in College: Results from a National Study of Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education
This March 2017 report from the Wisconsin HOPE Lab and the Association of Community College Trustees surveys more than 33,000 students at 70 community colleges in 24 states to assess the incidence of food and housing insecurity, including homelessness, among these students. The report concludes that an estimated average of 13 percent of community college students may be homeless.
Download Hungry and Homeless in College: Results from a National Study of Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education.
I Want To Go To College: Now What?
A guide from the U.S. Department of Education for youths who are or were homeless, or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. It intends to help make the process of applying to, paying for, and succeeding in college more clear by providing information and resources.
Income Tax and the FAFSA for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
This two-page brief from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) answers various questions about the relationship between the filing of tax returns and a youth’s completion of the FAFSA. Questions answered include: How does a youth’s decision to file a tax return affect the FAFSA?; Are youth required to file tax returns?, and; What should an unaccompanied youth do if his/her parents claim him/her as a dependent on their tax returns?.
Download Income Tax and the FAFSA for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth.
NAEHCY Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Model Toolkit
This toolkit from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) is a must-have for campuses that choose to enhance and facilitate student success for those experiencing housing instability and homelessness. This toolkit draws upon not just research and practice but also the perspectives of students moving through housing insecurity. It provides recommendations on building both campus and state-wide initiatives for ensuring the success of young adults experiencing collegiate homelessness.
Note: The toolkit is for NAEHCY members only.
Access the NAEHCY Single Point of Contact (SPOC) Model Toolkit (NAEHCY member login required).
Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
This December 2009 guide from Casey Family Programs provides information on helping youth from foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth to secure financial aid for postsecondary education or training programs. It describes how to respond to new FAFSA questions that will determine federal financial aid status for these students. The guide will be most useful for financial aid professionals, independent living coordinators, guidance counselors, financial aid counselors, social workers, and advocates helping youth to secure the maximum allowable financial aid.
Download Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth.
Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Students
This U.S. Department of Education guide seeks to help educators support the academic success of undocumented youth, debunk misconceptions by clarifying the legal rights of undocumented students, share helpful information about financial aid options open to undocumented students, and support youth in applying for DACA consideration or renewal. It includes an overview of the rights of undocumented students, tips for educators on how to support undocumented youth in high school and college, key information on non-citizen access to federal financial aid, a list of private scholarships for which undocumented youth might be eligible, information on federally-funded adult education programs at the local level, and guidance for migrant students in accessing their education records for DACA (Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals).
Download Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Students.
Download Financial Aid and Undocumented Students.
SAT Program Fee-Waiver Service
This webpage from the College Board explains how a high school junior or senior can receive a fee-waiver in order to take the SAT college entrance exam or SAT subject tests, if paying the fee would pose a barrier to the student’s college entrance. It also discusses how a college-bound student can receive waivers for college application fees.
Visit the SAT Program Fee-Waiver Service webpage.
Texas Higher Education Foster Care Liaisons: Information and Reference Guide
Texas state law requires higher education foster care liaisons at all public post-secondary institutions in the state. This guide from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board includes in-depth information for liaisons who have advocated for and with foster care alumni for many years and for new liaisons who are interested in developing a stronger support network at their institution. While the guide is specific to foster youth in Texas, much of the information included is applicable to unaccompanied homeless youth.
Download Texas Higher Education Foster Care Liaisons: Information and Reference Guide.
TRIO (Federal TRIO Programs)
The Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.
Visit the TRIO webpage.
Tuition Assistance Programs for Foster Youth Pursuing Postsecondary Education: 50-State Review
This May 2017 resource from the Education Commission of the States explores and compares state-based tuition assistance programs for foster youth.
Download Tuition Assistance Programs for Foster Youth Pursuing Postsecondary Education: 50-State Review.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Tip Sheet for Colorado McKinney-Vento Single Points of Contact
This Colorado tip sheet provides strategies for higher education personnel for determining independent student status on the FAFSA for unaccompanied homeless youth and for providing continued support for these students once their college enrollment has occured.
Download Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Tip Sheet for Colorado McKinney-Vento Single Points of Contact.
Download Recommendations for Transitioning Unaccompanied Homeless Youth to Higher Education.

Sample Forms, Materials, and Policies

AB 801: Postsecondary education: Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act (CA state law)
This 2016 California law requires post-secondary institutions within the state to appoint a Homeless and Foster Student Liaison to inform current and prospective students of the institution about student financial aid and other assistance available to homeless youth and current and former foster youth. Further, the law authorizes the waiving of community college enrollment fees of $46 per unit per semester for homeless youth.
View the California: AB 1393 law.
AB 1228: Admissions and Campus Housing Priority for Homeless and Foster Youth (CA state law)
This California law requires state universities to give priority for student housing to current and former homeless and foster youth, including for housing facilities that are open for year-round occupation.
View the full text of AB 1228.
AB 1393: Foster Youth (CA state law)
This California law requires state universities to give priority for student housing to current and former foster youth, including for housing facilities that are open for year-round occupation.
View the full text of AB 1393.
AB 1747: Food Assistance: Higher Education Students (CA state law)
This 2016 California law enables students who qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) – an optional component of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that gives counties the discretion to allow homeless people to use their benefits for prepared meals – to purchase freshly cooked food at on-campus food facilities. Under AB 1747, post-secondary institutions in counties participating in RMP will be required to register as approved food vendors. The bill also establishes a fund to support partnerships between food banks and on-campus kitchens, codifies existing practice to support SNAP campus outreach, and requires institutions to inform students annually about the program.
View the California: AB 1747 law.
AB 2416: Postsecondary education: Student Financial Aid: Satisfactory Academic Progress

This 2020 California law requires that determinations of “satisfactory academic progress” by California institutions of higher education consider homelessness, as specified, within the meaning of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as an extenuating circumstance for students who are otherwise unable to meet the requirements deemed to constitute “satisfactory academic progress” at the institutions, and that extenuating circumstance may be considered by the institutions to alter or excuse compliance with those progress requirements.
View the full text of AB 2416.

Loyola University Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Verification Form
This form, created by the Loyola University’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, guides university staff through a series of questions to use in evaluating whether a student meets the McKinney-Vento and College Cost Reduction and Access Act’s definition of homeless.
Note: Homeless students must qualify not only as homeless, but as unaccompanied, to be granted independent student status as an unaccompanied homeless youth on the FAFSA. This form does not address the unaccompanied issue.
Download the Loyola University Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Verification Form.
Sample Form Letter to Determine the Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
This form, created by SchoolHouse Connection, may be edited as appropriate by a school district, institution of higher education, shelter, transitional living program, or street outreach program to document independent student status on the FAFSA for unaccompanied homeless youth.
Download the Sample Form Letter to Determine the Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth.
SB 107: Postsecondary Education Grants (GA state law)

This 2021 Georgia state law provides for in-state tuition at units of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia for youth who are from homeless situations, and for the waiver of tuition and all fees, including customary rooming and board fees, for qualifying foster and adopted students by units of the Technical College System of Georgia.
View Georgia: SB 107 law.

Students-In-Transition: Education After High School Handbook
This handbook from Students-In-Transition (SIT) Office at St. Louis Public Schools provides information to high school students experiencing homelessness about the college application process, financial aid and scholarships, and various post-secondary education options.
Download Students-In-Transition: Education After High School Handbook.
Success for Homeless and Foster Youth in Higher Education Act: Louisiana House Bill 906
This 2016 Louisiana law requires public post-secondary institutions within the state to designate a homeless and foster student liaison within its financial aid office. It also allows public post-secondary institutions within the state to grant resident status to homeless students and priority for student housing to homeless and foster students.
View the Success for Homeless and Foster Youth in Higher Education Act.