State Funding to Support K12 Students Experiencing Homelessness

Colorado Educational Stability Grant

Date Enacted: 2018

• Overarching Purpose/History: Designed to reduce educational barriers for highly mobile students through academic and social-emotional support. Focuses on improving school attendance, reducing behavioral incidents, and increasing graduation and promotion rates.
• Target Population: Students experiencing homelessness, students in foster or kinship care, and migrant children.
• Current Funding Level/History: Approximately $825,000 is available for the 2025-2026 school year, with funding contingent on annual appropriations from the State Legislature.
• Administering State Agency: Colorado Department of Education.
• Eligible Activities: Academic support, social-emotional services, improving school attendance and promotion rates, reducing behavioral/disciplinary incidents, increasing graduation/completion rates.
• Eligible Grantees: Colorado education providers.
• Link to Statute: Colorado General Assembly
• Link to Resources: Colorado Department of Education

Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act  

Date Enacted: 1994; last amended in 2024 (HB 5407)

• Overarching Purpose/History: Implements federal McKinney-Vento Act provisions for immediate enrollment and school stability, and authorizes funding for additional supports such as housing stability and transportation assistance through a competitive grant program.
• Target Population: Students experiencing homelessness.
• Current Funding Level/History:In June 2026, Illinois included $2 million in the FY27 state budget for this program — the first appropriation in more than 15 years. (Previously last funded in 2009 at $3 million.) Funding is subject to annual appropriations from the State Legislature.
• Administering State Agency: Illinois State Board of Education.
• Eligible Activities:
  • Rental assistance, including utilities, security deposits, first and last month’s rent, application fees, and moving expenses;
  • Emergency shelter, including temporary hotel stays;
  • Case management and housing locator services;
  • Transportation assistance, including school buses, public transportation passes and gas assistance;
  • School supplies, clothing, academic enrichment, tutoring, parental involvement programs, and activities set forth in the McKinney-Vento Act.
• Eligible Grantees: School districts under the State Grant Program.
• Link to Statute: Illinois General Assembly  
• Link to Resources: CCH: New Funding Secured for Students Experiencing Homelessness

Maine Student Homelessness Prevention Program

Date Enacted: 2022

• Overarching Purpose/History: Allows school liaisons to meet families’ urgent housing needs by paying for the approved expenses.
• Target Population: Students and families at risk of homelessness.
• Current Funding Level/History: Program was initially funded as a pilot; amount per student capped at $750, $1.5 million allocation. 2025 legislation made the program permanent but only allocated $125,000 annually.
• Administering State Agency: Department of Education.
• Eligible Activities: Housing assistance, utilities, home repairs, transportation, additional supports to enable students to attend and participate fully in school activities including uses authorized through the federal McKinney-Vento Act.
• Eligible Grantees: School districts, liaisons.
• Link to Statute: Maine Legislature
• Link to Resources: Pilot Program Information

New Mexico Guaranteed Payment for Attendance Pilot Program

Date Enacted: 2025

• Overarching Purpose/History: Graduation and absenteeism intervention.
• Target Population: McKinney-Vento eligible students and families.
• Current Funding Level/History: $2.1 million/year initial funding for a 3 year pilot program.
• Administering State Agency: Public Education Department.
• Eligible Activities: Pays students $500/month for obtaining at least a 90% attendance rate along with other program requirements such as tutoring and counseling.
• Eligible Grantees: Funds are unrestricted, families can use them as needed.
• Link to Statute: 2025 New Mexico Budget, page 259, item 28.
• Link to Resources: (Coming Soon)

New York Weighted Funding Formula

Date Enacted: May 2026

• Overarching Purpose/History: As part of the FY27 enacted budget, New York updated its Foundation Aid formula to direct additional funding to school districts serving students experiencing homelessness, English language learners, and students in foster care. This is a significant expansion of state investment in educational equity for the most vulnerable students.
• Target Population: Students experiencing homelessness (along with English language learners and students in foster care).
• Current Funding Level/History: Part of the FY27 budget, which provides the highest total school aid in state history at $39.6 billion.
• Administering State Agency: New York State Education Department.
• Eligible Activities: Increased per-pupil funding directed to districts based on student need.
• Eligible Grantees: School districts statewide.
• Link to Resources: Governor Hochul FY27 Budget Announcement

Washington Homeless Student Stability Program

Date Enacted: 2016

• Overarching Purpose/History: Reduces student homelessness through education and housing support.
• Target Population: McKinney-Vento eligible students and families
• Current Funding Level/History: $1.2 million appropriated annually for educational supports through school districts; and $2 million appropriated annually for housing supports through community-based organizations. (Note: $1.2 million for school districts is not in the budget beyond June 30, 2026.)
• Administering State Agency: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Department of Commerce’s Office of Homeless Youth.
• Eligible Activities: School staffing, training, support services, housing connection, flexible housing funds.
• Eligible Grantees: School districts and nonprofit organizations.
• Link to Statute: Washington State Legislature here and here
• Link to Resources: Program Information

Massachusetts Student Transportation

Date Enacted: Ongoing since prior to 2020

• Overarching Purpose/History: Reimburses cities and districts for McKinney-Vento required student transportation.
• Target Population: Students experiencing homelessness as required by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
• Current Funding Level/History: Increased from $11M (2020) to $28M (FY 2025).
• Administering State Agency: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• Eligible Activities: Reimbursement of student transportation costs.
• Eligible Grantees: Cities, towns, regional school districts.
• Link to Statute: enacted budget item
• Link to Resources:  (Coming Soon)

Minnesota Transportation Reimbursement

Date Enacted: 2023

• Overarching Purpose/History: Incorporated full reimbursement of transportation costs into special education aid formula.
• Target Population: Students experiencing homelessness.
• Current Funding Level/History: Ongoing via state aid formula.
• Administering State Agency: Department of Education.
• Eligible Activities: Transportation to/from shelters, across districts, to school of origin.
• Eligible Grantees: School districts.
• Link to Statute: Minnesota Legislature
• Link to Resources: (Coming Soon)

New York Transportation Reimbursement

Date Enacted: 2019

• Overarching Purpose/History: Reimburses local school districts for transportation costs of students experiencing homelessness.
• Target Population: Homeless students as defined in statute.
• Current Funding Level/History: At least $20M/year; $26M in FY 2025-26.
• Administering State Agency: Education Department.
• Eligible Activities: Transportation reimbursement.
• Eligible Grantees: Local school districts.
• Link to Statute: New York Legislature 2025 Budget 
• Link to Resources: (Coming Soon)

Maine Student Housing Subsidy

Date Enacted: 2024

• Overarching Purpose/History: Preventing student homelessness through housing assistance.
• Target Population: Students and families at risk of housing instability.
• Current Funding Level/History: $2 million initial funding. 2025 legislation made the program permanent but only allocated $125,000 annually.
• Administering State Agency: Maine State Housing Authority, Department of Education.
• Eligible Activities: Provides funding to school districts to hire homeless prevention and housing navigation specialists, as well as to provide direct financial assistance to a student’s family to cover expenses that will help them either maintain their current housing or obtain new housing rental subsidies through local housing authorities and schools.
• Eligible Grantees: School systems.
• Link to Statute: Maine Legislature
• Link to Resources: Program Information

Maryland Community Schools Rental Assistance Program

Date Enacted: 2024

• Overarching Purpose/History:  Provides housing assistance to families with homeless students in community schools.
• Target Population: Students identified as at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• Current Funding Level/History: $10 million initially.
• Administering State Agency: Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with the State Department of Education.
• Eligible Activities: Overdue rent, utility bills, relocation expenses.
• Eligible Grantees: Community schools.
• Link to Statute: Maryland General Assembly
• Link to Resources: Initial Application Information

Minnesota Homework Starts with Home Program

Date Enacted: 2014

• Overarching Purpose/History: Addressing homelessness and housing instability among students and their families.
• Target Population: Families with children in school (PreK–12), unaccompanied youth attending school through grade 12.
• Current Funding Level/History: The Homework Starts with Home program began as a pilot and is now funded at $2.75 million per year.
• Administering State Agency: Minnesota Housing, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education.
• Eligible Activities: Supportive services to find and keep housing. Financial help for rent deposit, rent assistance, utilities, housing application assistance and other housing related costs.
• Eligible Grantees: Family homeless prevention and assistance projects in communities with a school or schools that have a significant degree of student mobility.
• Link to Statute: Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota Legislature
• Link to Resources: Minnesota Housing

Minnesota Local Family Homelessness Prevention

Date Enacted: 2021

• Overarching Purpose/History: Funding new or existing family homeless prevention and assistance projects or programs.
• Target Population: Families with children in school (PreK–12), unaccompanied youth.
• Current Funding Level/History: $20 million annually – $17.6 million to counties, $2.4 million to tribes.
• Administering State Agency: Department of Revenue.
• Eligible Activities: Rental assistance, social services, case management.
• Eligible Grantees: Counties, Tribal governments.
• Link to Statute: Minnesota Legislature
• Link to Resources: Department of Revenue Program

Oregon Student Emergency Housing Assistance

Date Enacted: 2023

• Overarching Purpose/History: Provide housing-focused services to school-age children and their families to enhance family stability and school success.
• Target Population: School-age children and families in rural areas.
• Current Funding Level/History: $5 million.
• Administering State Agency: Oregon Housing and Community Services.
• Eligible Activities: Rent, hotel stays, utilities, deposits, legal services, transportation, educational/work supports.
• Eligible Grantees: Local partners and community-based providers
• Link to Statute: HB 5019 (2023)
• Link to Resources: Housing and Community Services Program Information and News Release