Several District Homeless Education Liaisons are getting questions from students asking for verification that the student qualifies as homeless during their senior year. Below is brief information for liaisons as you work with your homeless students during FAFSA season. Attached is a form that may be helpful.
Homelessness, post-secondary education, and the FAFSA
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) include a definition of homelessness that matches McKinney-Vento. Questions are listed on the FAFSA to identify students meeting the criteria and to help those students receive help in escaping poverty and homelessness. If a student is able to answer "yes" to any of these questions, that student may be able to complete the FAFSA and obtain financial aid without providing parental information.
After completing the FAFSA, a homeless student should be able to document his or her situation with one of the following:
- Verification from the secondary school district's McKinney-Vento Liaison (a.k.a. Homeless Education Liaison)
- Documentation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homeless assistance program director or designee
- Certification from a Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program director or designee
- Documentation from a financial aid officer who has met with the student, has completed a homeless youth determination form, and in some cases may have received letters of confirmation from parents of the student's friends, church leaders, or relatives
Link to the 2016-17 FSA Handbook https://ifap.ed.gov/f
Link to NAEHCY toolkit for assisting unaccompanied youth http://www.naehcy.org/to
You may need to work with the post-secondary financial aid office if they require their own type of verification form from the local district homeless liaison.
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