Common Questions

Education is a critical but often overlooked strategy to address child and youth homelessness, and prevent it from re-occurring in the future. In fact, research found that youth who do not complete a high school diploma or GED are 4.5 times more likely to experience homelessness as young adults than their peers who completed high school. Education is a critical factor in giving young people the opportunity to obtain stable employment, and ensuring that they do not repeat the cycle of poverty and homelessness that they experienced during their developmental years.

Schools are a source of caring adults, stability, and normalcy for students as they weather a traumatic and disruptive experience. As cornerstones of communities, they play pivotal roles in connecting children and youth who are experiencing homelessness to a wide array of services and supports.

In addition, schools, early childhood programs, and institutions of higher education are often the most consistent presence for youth and families during an otherwise traumatic and unpredictable time. As such, schools may be able to more quickly identify homeless students (or those about to become homeless), and help them to more rapidly access the services and supports they need to regain stable housing, and address other critical issues that may be contributing factors.

Public schools identified more than 1.5 million children and youth experiencing homelessness in the 2023-2024 school year. Only 12.71% of homeless students were staying in shelters or transitional housing when they were first identified by schools as experiencing homelessness. Most were staying temporarily with other people, often referred to as “doubled-up” (74.32%), while others were staying in hotels or motels (8.53%) or in unsheltered situations (4.36%).

These numbers do not represent the total number of child and youth who experience homelessness in our nation, because:

• These data represents only PreK-12 children and youth who were both identified as experiencing homelessness and enrolled in public schools.
• Under-identification of homeless students by public schools is a well-documented problem, caused in part by lack of awareness, lack of training, and lack of adequate dedicated staff time. The stigma and shame associated with homelessness, and general invisibility of most children and youth experiencing homelessness, also contribute to under-identification.
• Homelessness creates barriers to enrollment and attendance in school; children and youth who were not enrolled in school will not be included in the federal school data.
• The education data does not include all preschool-age children, or infants and toddlers; only young children enrolled in preschool programs administered by local educational agencies are included.

In addition to public school data, research suggests that youth homelessness is more prevalent than previously known. Research from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found that at least 700,000 unaccompanied adolescents (ages 13-17) – 1 in 30 – experience homelessness on their own in a year. In contrast, public schools identified 127,848 unaccompanied homeless youth in the 2023-2024 school year, representing 8.3% of all enrolled homeless students.

Despite on-going challenges with identification, the rise in school numbers may be a sign that schools are getting better at identifying homeless students, and are therefore reporting them more accurately. This is a positive trend, since those students can then be connected to the right resources, and have access to the educational protections to which they are entitled under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Homeless students often hide their homelessness due to fear of stigma, being separated from their families or siblings, or being returned to an unsafe home environment. Improving the ability of schools to quickly identify these students is therefore critical, and a rise in numbers suggests that many schools are in fact getting better at doing so.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every state educational agency (SEA) is required to report the number of homeless children and youth on the SEA website annually.

Use these interactive profiles to explore student homelessness data and track graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and district funding needs at the national, state, and local levels.

Academic achievement in elementary school is slowed during periods of homelessness and housing instability. The achievement gaps between homeless and low-income elementary students tend to persist, and may even worsen, over time. Homelessness is associated with an 87% increased likelihood of dropping out of school (the highest of all risk factors studied).

Homelessness has an impact on academic achievement that is over and above poverty. Under federal law, states are required to disaggregate graduation rates of students experiencing homelessness. During the 2023-2024 school year, nearly half of the nation’s 1.5 million students experiencing homelessness were chronically absent – a modest improvement over the previous few years, but still significantly higher than other low-income students.

Racial disparities are evident in the likelihood of students becoming homeless, in the prolonged harmful consequences of homelessness, and in barriers to accessing education and services. In high school, Black students are 2.67 times more likely to experience homelessness, and Hispanic students are 1.68 times more likely to experience homelessness, than their white peers. Students experiencing homelessness are also more likely to have disabilities; 18% of K-12 students experiencing homelessness were identified as having a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, compared to 14% of all K-12 students.

Racial inequity is apparent in early childhood and higher education, as well. Infants and toddlers of color experience significant disparities in key areas of maternal and child health, and young children of color lack access to high-quality, state-funded early childhood programs. A national survey of two- and four-year colleges noted that Black college students have higher rates of homelessness, at 20% in comparison to the national average of 17%.

Under the Higher Education Act, youth who are under age 24 are considered “dependent students;” they must supply parental information in order to be considered for federal financial aid. However, for youth who are homeless and on their own (unaccompanied homeless youth), or youth on their own who are self-supporting and at risk of homelessness, are considered “independent students;” they do not need to include parental information if they are determined by authorized entities.

A report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in May 2016 found that:

• Burdensome program rules can hinder the ability of homeless youth to access federal supports.
• Extensive documentation requests can impede access to aid for homeless youth.
• Annual re-verification of homelessness poses barriers for unaccompanied homeless youth.

New changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act removed many of these financial aid barriers for homeless youth, like presumed independence after the first year of providing an unaccompanied homeless youth determination and expanding the list of authorized entities who can provide these determinations. A SchoolHouse Connection analysis of data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) shows an increased access to financial aid for homeless youth in the 2023-2024 FAFSA cycle and highlights the early impacts of the FAFSA Simplification Act.

In addition to financial aid challenges, homeless youth face additional obstacles transitioning from high school to higher education and succeeding in college. Students may experience summer melt, imposter syndrome, and lack familial support. Other students might not have access to essential college items, like a laptop, toiletries, bedding, towels, or other basic supplies that delay and ultimately prevent students from pursuing postsecondary education.

See examples of how high school and higher education institutions can partner together to better help students remove these barriers and access postsecondary education.

Homelessness is a complex issue with many causes. Two trends that have contributed to the rise in family and youth homelessness over the past several decades are persistent poverty and a shortage of affordable housing. Domestic violence, unemployment, low education levels, physical and mental health problems, addiction disorders, and natural disasters also contribute to family homelessness.

Unaccompanied homeless youth include young people who have run away from or been thrown out of their homes or been abandoned by their parents. Some primary causes of homelessness among unaccompanied youth are physical and sexual abuse by a parent or guardian, neglect, parental substance abuse, and extreme family conflict. Many youth experience homelessness at first with their families, and then later, on their own. A study found that the majority of unaccompanied homeless youth interviewed had experiences of housing instability that started in childhood or adolescence.

Homelessness can harm children before they are even born. Research shows that pregnant women experiencing homelessness are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care than housed mothers, and their children are at increased risk for low birth weight and stays in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Low-birth weight has been demonstrated to jeopardize a child’s cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development. Homelessness in early childhood is associated with developmental and and social-emotional delays, putting children at risk for later academic problems. A 2018 study found that the younger and longer a child experiences homelessness, the greater the cumulative toll of negative health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects on the child, the family, and the community.

No. Homeless students live in rural, urban, and suburban communities across our nation. In fact, research from Chapin Hall found that youth in rural, suburban, and urban counties experience statistically identical prevalence rates of homelessness. In predominantly rural counties, 9.2% of young adults reported any homelessness while, in predominantly urban counties, the prevalence rate was 9.6%. Household prevalence of any homelessness among adolescents ages 13-17 was 4.4% in predominantly rural counties and 4.2% in predominately urban counties. Given that the resources available to homeless students will be very different in an urban versus a rural setting, strategies must be tailored to these different demographics in order to be effective.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 2017–2018, there were 1,455,537, or one-in-16, children under six years old who experienced homelessness. Six percent of children under age six were experiencing homelessness.

In fact, in the United States, infants under age one are most likely to enter shelter and transitional housing programs, followed by ages one to five. Almost half of children in federally-funded shelters are under age 6.

Head Start programs have reported serving more homeless children, from 26,200 homeless children in 2007-2008 to 52,764 in 2016-2017 – a 100% increase.  See the Early Childhood Homelessness State Profiles from the U.S. Department of Education to learn more about young children experiencing homelessness in your state.

SchoolHouse Connection released “Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2021-2022,” the most comprehensive analysis to date of homelessness among the nation’s youngest children. This report offers the first-ever state-by-state collection of data on infant and toddler homelessness and provides detailed recommendations for policymakers and communities alike.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) use different definitions of homelessness, as well as different methods of collecting data.

The definition of homelessness used by all public schools in the United States includes children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This definition specifically includes children and youth living in shelters, transitional housing, cars, campgrounds, motels, and sharing the housing of others temporarily due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons. This is the same definition of homelessness used by Head Start, federally-funded child care programs, child nutrition, and other federal family and youth programs.

With few exceptions, the HUD definition of homelessness only includes people living in shelters, transitional housing, or on the streets or other outdoor locations.

The education definition of homelessness reflects the reality of family and youth homelessness. Emergency shelters in urban and suburban areas cannot meet demand, turning away requests for shelter. Many shelters place eligibility restrictions on families and youth; for example, some shelters do not admit families with adolescent boys, or do not allow unaccompanied minors. Rural and suburban areas may not have shelters at all. Families and youth may not have enough money to stay at a motel, or they may leave their homes in crisis, fleeing to the first available location. Youth who are homeless without an adult may be afraid to enter an adult shelter.

As a result of the lack of shelter, most children and youth in homeless situations stay with others temporarily, or stay in motels or other short-term facilities. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 12.71% of homeless students were staying in shelters or transitional housing when they were first identified by schools as experiencing homelessness. Most were staying temporarily with other people, often referred to as “doubled-up” (74.32%), while others were staying in hotels or motels (8.53%) or in unsheltered situations (4.36%). Homeless families and youth who stay temporarily with others, or in self-paid motels, due to lack of adequate alternatives are not eligible for homeless assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These living situations are precarious, damaging, crowded, unstable, and often unsafe, leading to extraordinary rates of mobility.

In addition to the differences in federal definitions of homelessness, the methodologies for education and housing numbers on homeless children and youth also differ. The education data is based on an academic year. Local education agencies report data to state education agencies, who in turn report data to the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education then de-duplicates the data, so that the final national number does not include children or youth who were counted more than once because they changed school districts.

The housing data is often based on a “point in time,” or PIT count. The PIT counts involve training volunteers to identify people who meet HUD’s definition of homeless, which means that they can be found outside, or are able to find space in, and meet the eligibility criteria for, a homeless shelter or other homeless housing program.

At the postsecondary level, there is little known about college outcomes for homeless youth. An evaluation from Education Northwest’s Homelessness and Housing Insecurity Among College Students found that the average three-year completion rate for community college students is 35%, and the average rate for homeless students is 8-12 percentage points lower. An analysis of 2024 data from SchoolHouse Connection and Trellis Strategies shows that college students who have experienced homelessness face deeper hardship and more barriers to staying enrolled in college than other students.

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (referred to as the McKinney-Vento Act) is a federal law designed to remove barriers to education created by homelessness, and thereby increase the enrollment, attendance, and success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act was passed in 1987 and was most recently amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.

The McKinney-Vento Act requires that state and local educational agencies provide students experiencing homelessness with access to school and support for their attendance and success. Key provisions of the 2015 reauthorized Act include:

• Every school district must designate a homeless liaison to ensure the McKinney-Vento Act is implemented in the district. The homeless liaison must be able to carry out the duties specified in the law. Homeless liaisons have many critical responsibilities, including identification, enrollment, ensuring access to early childhood and other programs, and collaboration with community agencies.
• Every state must designate a state coordinator to ensure the McKinney-Vento Act is implemented in the state. State coordinators must have sufficient capacity to carry out their duties.
• Children and youth who are homeless can remain in one school (including a preschool), even if their temporary living situation is located in another school district or attendance area, if that is in their best interest. Schools must provide transportation.
• Children and youth who are homeless can enroll in school and begin attending immediately, even if they cannot produce normally required documents, such as birth certificates, proof of guardianship, immunization records, or proof of residency, or even if they have missed application or enrollment deadlines.
• States are required to have procedures to identify and remove barriers that prevent homeless youth from receiving appropriate credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed while attending a prior school, in accordance with State, local, and school policies. Local school district liaisons are required to implement these procedures.
• Counselors must prepare and improve the college-readiness of homeless youth.
• Both state coordinators and homeless liaisons must collaborate with other agencies serving homeless children, youth, and families to enhance educational attendance and success.
• State departments of education and school districts must review and revise their policies and practices to eliminate barriers to identification, enrollment and retention in school of homeless children and youth, including barriers caused by fees, fines, and absences.

The McKinney-Vento Act contains many other provisions designed to support the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. It is a critical tool in any effort to help these students meet their educational goals.

Currently, institutions of higher education are not required to report data on students who are homeless. Therefore, unlike PreK-12, there is no “official” national number or estimate of college students experiencing homelessness. The federal National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) found that 8% of undergraduates and 5% of graduate students experienced homelessness in 2019. However, the number of college students experiencing homelessness is estimated to be higher. 

According to a national study by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 3.5 million young adults between the ages of 18-25 experienced homelessness during a 12-month period. Chapin Hall’s study also found 29% of young adults who experienced homelessness were enrolled in college or another educational program at the time that they experienced homelessness.

In addition, institutions of higher education are conducting their own research or collecting data on students who are experiencing homelessness. For example, The Hope Center’s 2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey Report from 91 institutions across 16 states found that 14% of undergraduate students experience homelessness. A 2018 study found that 19% of California State University students reported experiencing homelessness one or more times in the last 12 months.

In a life filled with uncertainty, loss, and deprivation, school can be a place of safety, structure, and opportunity. Yet homeless children and youth face unique barriers to early care and education. These barriers include:

• Being unable to meet enrollment requirements (including requirements to provide proof of residency and legal guardianship, and school and health records)
• High mobility resulting in lack of continuity and absenteeism
• Lack of transportation
• Lack of supplies and clothing
• Poor health, fatigue, and hunger
• Emotional crisis/mental health issues
• For unaccompanied homeless youth, lack of a parent or guardian

These problems are compounded by lack of awareness of homelessness by early care and education programs, as well as lack of training and time for early care and education staff to provide identification, outreach, and other services.

When these barriers are not addressed, homeless children and youth often are unable to attend, or even enroll in, early childhood programs or school, which prevents them from obtaining the early care and education that is their best hope of escaping poverty as adults.

A study of youth who had been homeless in middle or high school found that:

• 42% dropped out of school at least once; 60% said it was hard to stay in school while they were homeless.
• 67% said they were uncomfortable talking with people at their school about their housing situation and related challenges.
• Half said they had to change schools during their homelessness, and many did so multiple times. 62% of them said the process was difficult to navigate.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every local educational agency is required to designate a liaison for homeless children and youth. The local educational agency liaison coordinates services to ensure that homeless children and youths enroll in school and have the opportunity to succeed academically.

Click here to find the contact information of your local homeless education liaison.