Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Youth Homelessness

I Work in K-12 Education or Homeless Services

Sample Form Letters to Determine Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth for the FAFSA
Federal law (the McKinney-Vento Act) requires school district homeless liaisons to inform unaccompanied homeless youth of their status as independent students for financial aid (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA) and help them obtain verification of that status. To help implement this policy, we’ve prepared a sample form letter (Microsoft Word). This form letter may be edited as appropriate for your school district, institution of higher education, shelter, transitional living program, or street outreach program.

Customizable Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY) FAFSA 101 Presentations

These presentations include a 10-minute general UHY FAFSA 101 template and a comprehensive UHY FAFSA training. You can customize the presentation by adding:

1. Local/state data about UHY FAFSA completion 
2. Specific resources tailored to your audience (liaisons, counselors, financial aid administrators, service providers, college access programs, etc.) 
3. State policies about FAFSA completion or other state laws for supporting college students experiencing homelessness 
4. Other local or community resources for housing, food, emergency aid, or scholarship opportunities

10-Minute Unaccompanied Homeless Youth FAFSA 101 Template Comprehensive Unaccompanied Homeless Youth FAFSA 101 Template

FAFSA Referral Form for McKinney-Vento Liaisons
The FAFSA Referral Form is specifically for counselors, liaison designees, and school staff who, while assisting with FAFSA applications, discover that a student is unaccompanied and homeless or unaccompanied, self-supporting, and at risk of homelessness.

Navigating Financial Aid for Homeless Students: A FAFSA Screening Tool for High School Counselors
This FAFSA screening tool is intended to help counselors and other school staff identify if students are experiencing homelessness or in foster care before they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Follow these steps and ask your students these questions to identify if they are independent students, meaning they do not need to include their parental information on the FAFSA.

Financial Aid for Youth Who are Homeless (or At Risk of Homelessness) and On Their Own
This resource contains a flowchart to help students see if they qualify as an independent student because they are an unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness. It provides examples of who can make determinations of their status, as well as email templates.

Tips for Helping Homeless Youth Succeed in College: Accessing Financial Aid
This living document contains strategies that schools, community agencies, and colleges can use to help students access and maintain their financial aid. 

I Work in Higher Education

Sample Form Letters to Determine Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth for the FAFSA
Federal law (the McKinney-Vento Act) requires school district homeless liaisons to inform unaccompanied homeless youth of their status as independent students for financial aid (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA) and help them obtain verification of that status. To help implement this policy, we’ve prepared a sample form letter (Microsoft Word). This form letter may be edited as appropriate for your school district, institution of higher education, shelter, transitional living program, or street outreach program.

Customizable Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY) FAFSA 101 Presentations

These presentations include a 10-minute general UHY FAFSA 101 template and a comprehensive UHY FAFSA training. You can customize the presentation by adding:

1. Local/state data about UHY FAFSA completion 
2. Specific resources tailored to your audience (liaisons, counselors, financial aid administrators, service providers, college access programs, etc.) 
3. State policies about FAFSA completion or other state laws for supporting college students experiencing homelessness 
4. Other local or community resources for housing, food, emergency aid, or scholarship opportunities

10-Minute Unaccompanied Homeless Youth FAFSA 101 Template Comprehensive Unaccompanied Homeless Youth FAFSA 101 Template

Updated Federal FAFSA Guidance for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth – as of July 19, 2024
On Friday, July 19, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued an electronic announcement reminding financial aid administrators of their roles and responsibilities with respect to unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness (UHY). This announcement is an update to guidance that was issued in April 2023.

Inform Students about the FAFSA: Use This Email Template
The new 2024-2025 FAFSA is available now. Use this email template to inform students that the FAFSA is out and what materials they need to fill it out. It is important to let students know how to fill out the FAFSA as soon as they can, so they can pursue postsecondary education with as much financial as possible.

How to Prep for the 2024-2025 FAFSA
The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now fully available to students and parents following its ‘soft launch’ on December 31, 2023, which was a three-month delay from the usual October 1st release date. With all these new changes, we urge our network to be proactive and prep for the 24-25 FAFSA with these strategies.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determination: A Template for Financial Aid Administrators
Financial aid administrators have the responsibility to make determinations of unaccompanied homeless youth if youth are unable to get determinations from other entities. The determination must be made based on the legal definitions of homeless and unaccompanied, and independently from the reasons that the student is an unaccompanied homeless youth, or is a youth who is unaccompanied, at risk of homelessness, and self-supporting. This template can be used by financial aid administrators to make unaccompanied homeless youth determinations.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Written Statement: A Template for Financial Aid Administrators
This template is for financial aid administrators requesting written statements for students requesting an unaccompanied homeless youth determination.

Tips for Helping Homeless Youth Succeed in College: Accessing Financial Aid
These are strategies schools, community agencies, and colleges can use to help students access and maintain their financial aid. 

How Emergency Aid Can Prevent Homelessness Among College Students
Emergency aid programs offer financial resources for students who face an unexpected crisis that could prevent them from completing their academic term. These programs can be helpful for all college students, but they are especially critical for those experiencing homelessness or those who are at risk of becoming homeless. This SchoolHouse Connection brief provides examples of emergency aid programs and offers strategies for streamlining services.

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Policy

(GENERAL-24-88) Reminder – Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determinations
On Friday, July 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued an electronic announcement reminding financial aid administrators of their roles and responsibilities with respect to unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness (UHY). This announcement is an update to guidance that was issued in April 2023.

DCL Gen-23-06: Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determinations
On April 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter that announces changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act that will go into effect for the 2023-2024 FAFSA award year. View the list of changes here.

The FAFSA Simplification Act: Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Youth with Experience in Foster Care
The FAFSA Simplification Act (enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and updated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022) aims to remove many of the barriers faced by youth experiencing homelessness or with experience in foster care. The new provisions for homeless and foster youth are in effect for the 2023-2024 award year, here’s a summary of the changes.

DCL GEN-22-15: FAFSA Simplification Act Changes for Implementation in 2023-24
On November 4, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter that announces changes from the FAFSA Simplification Act that will go into effect for the 2023-2024 FAFSA award year. View the list of changes here. 

Research

Below are SchoolHouse Connection’s Analysis of FAFSA Data Report:

• *Published in 2022* “Working Harder Just to Be Seen and Heard:” Barriers to Financial Aid for Homeless and Foster Youth
  This new SchoolHouse Connection report documents a significant drop in the number of unaccompanied homeless youth and foster youth FAFSA determinations, and an alarming increase in the number of FAFSA applicants who requested homeless youth determinations, but did not receive them. It comes just days before the new FAFSA is released on October 1, and yet the U.S. Department of Education has not yet implemented critical changes to the FAFSA for homeless and foster youth.
• *Published in 2020* FAFSA & Homeless Youth: Challenges + Recommendations in the COVID-19 Era
  This SchoolHouse Connection report examines six years of financial aid data for unaccompanied homeless youth. These data demonstrate continued barriers to financial aid access – barriers that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak.
• *Published in 2018* Youth Homelessness and Higher Education: An Analysis of FAFSA Data
  This 2018 report examines a critical component of the basic needs of unaccompanied homeless youth in higher education: financial aid. Without financial aid, postsecondary education–their best hope for lasting housing stability–is simply out of reach.
• *Published in 2017* “This is How I’m Going to Make a Life for Myself:” An Analysis of FAFSA Data and Barriers to Financial Aid for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
  This 2017 report analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Education that provide important insights into the challenges that unaccompanied homeless youth face in accessing federal financial aid. The data also provide baseline information to assess states’ progress in implementing important new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that were enacted to help students experiencing homelessness transition from high school to postsecondary education. We conclude our analysis with recommendations for policy and practice, including the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

GAO Report – Actions Needed to Improve Access to Federal Financial Assistance for Homeless and Foster Youth
In May 2016 the GAO found that burdensome program rules can hinder the ability of homeless and foster 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; and that limited academic preparation, family support, and awareness of resources make it harder for homeless and foster youth to pursue college.

John Burton Advocates for Youth Report – The Overlooked Obstacle: How Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies Impede Student Success and Equity
This report explores the impact of SAP standards and policies on financial aid with specific attention to students of color, experience in foster care, and homelessness.