Answer: FAAs are not only authorized to make determinations of UHY status, but they are also required to do so if a student doesn’t have a determination from a party that is authorized by the HEA. A documented interview with the student can serve the purpose of documentation in these situations. You can utilize the NCHE FAA determination tool here. So you should conduct an interview, make the UHY determination, and correct the FAFSA accordingly.
We have students who get kicked out of the family home after high school graduation, but we don’t have homeless shelters in our community. These students can’t get confirmation of their unaccompanied homeless youth status from a shelter or high school. They are often confused about how to complete the FAFSA, and they request a Dependency Override (DO). Once we start trying to document information for a DO we realize they are homeless, but making that correction to the FAFSA seems to be stating that WE (the financial aid office) have documentation. What do we do in those situations?
Aug 19, 2019 | Q and A