Paving the Way to
College for Students
Experiencing
Homelessness
National Center for Homeless Education
800.308.2145 | homeless@serve.org
www.serve.org/nche
Get to Know NCHE…
• NCHE operates the U.S. Department of Education’s
homeless education technical assistance and
information center
• Website: www.serve.org/nche
• Webinars: www.serve.org/nche/web/group.php
• Helpline: 800-308-2145 or homeless@serve.org
• Listserv: www.serve.org/nche/listserv.php
• Products: www.serve.org/nche/products.php
• Handouts: www.serve.org/nche/web/college.php
On average, the lifetime
earnings of someone with a
Bachelor’s degree will almost
double
those of someone with a high
school diploma
Source: The College Payoff, https://cew.georgetown.edu/collegepayoff
Session Outline
• Dealing with application expenses
• Advanced Placement exam fees
• College entrance exam fees (SAT and ACT)
• College application fees
• Seeking financial aid and scholarships
• The FAFSA for “accompanied” and unaccompanied homeless
students
• Private scholarships
• State-specific opportunities
• Options for undocumented homeless students
Foundational Documents
• The McKinney-Vento Act
www.serve.org/nche/m-v.php
• The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
www.fafsa.gov
• The Application and Verification Guide (AVG)
www.serve.org/nche/ibt/higher_ed.php
• Webinar handouts
.www.serve.org/nche/web/college.php
AP test
$91 ea
ACT
$54.50 per
+
+
College
application*
$35-$50 ea
=
General SAT
test $52.50
per
SAT subject test
$26/basic exam
fee + $16 and
up/exam ea
Total
range
+
+
$225-$975
*The College Board recommends that students apply to between 5 and 8 colleges.
College Admissions
Checklist
• Take Advanced Placement (AP) tests, if applicable
• Take college entrance exam(s) (SAT and/or ACT)
• Complete and submit college applications
• Complete and submit the FAFSA
• Complete and submit applications for private
scholarships
• More information:
• “Applying 101”: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/getin/applying
• “Financial Aid 101”: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-forcollege/financial-aid
Fee Waivers
Advanced Placement (AP)
Exams:
• Most four-year colleges in the United States
give students credit, advanced placement, or
both on the basis of AP Exam scores; however
• Each college or university may set its own
policy as to which tests they will accept for
credit, how much credit they will give, and
what score is required to get credit.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Exams:
• AP exam fee waivers are available for eligible
students with no limit on the number of waivers
per student
• To qualify for an AP exam fee waiver:
• The student receives or is eligible to receive free or
reduced price lunch;
• The student's family receives TANF assistance; or
• The student is eligible to receive medical assistance
under the Medicaid program
Advanced Placement (AP)
Exams:
• Waivers are administered at the school; speak
with your school’s AP Coordinator
• Additional information is available at
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/
waivers/guidelines/ap
College Entrance Exam:
The ACT
• To qualify for an ACT fee waiver, the student
must:
• Be enrolled in high school in the 11th or 12th grade
• Be testing in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or a U.S.
territory; or, if testing abroad, be a U.S. citizen
• Meet one or more of the following indicators of
economic need:
• Student is receiving free/reduced lunch
• Student is enrolled in TRIO. GEAR UP, or a similar program
• Student lives in a foster home, is a ward of the state, or is
experiencing homelessness
• Family lives in subsidized housing or receives public assistance
• Family income is below the USDA reduced-price lunch level
College Entrance Exam:
The ACT
• Student can use the waiver to take the ACT up to two times
• The waiver is sent to high schools each summer; students must
access the waiver from the school counselor
• The waiver covers the basic test fees, including sending the test
score(s) to up to four colleges; does not cover late registration
fees or change fees
• Additional information is available at
http://www.actstudent.org/faq/feewaiver.html
http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/FeeWaiver.pdf
College Entrance Exam:
The SAT
• To qualify for an SAT fee waiver, the student
must:
• Be enrolled in high school in the 11th or 12th grade
(SAT) or in grades 9-12 (SAT Subject Tests)
• Be testing in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory; or,
if testing abroad, be a U.S. citizen
• Meet one or more indicator(s) of economic need
(same as for the ACT fee waiver)
College Entrance Exam:
The SAT
• The waiver must be obtained from the student’s high
school counselor or an authorized agency
• The student can receive up to four waiver cards: Up to
two waivers for the SAT and two waivers for SAT
Subject Tests (student may take up to three Subject
Tests per test date)
• The waiver covers the basic test fees, including
sending the test score(s) to up to eight colleges (four
standard; additional four with waiver); does not cover
change fees, but now covers late registration fees
• Additional information is available at
http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-fee-waivers
College Application Fees
• College Board program
• Students who qualify for the College Board’s SAT fee
waiver also qualify to receive up to four Request for
Waiver of College Application Fee forms
• Forms should be included with the students’ college
applications and sent to colleges included in the
SAT® Fee-Waiver Directory of Colleges at
http://sat.collegeboard.org/SAT/public/pdf/sat-feewaiver-directory.pdf
• Additional information is available at
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/ap
plications/fee-waivers
College Application Fees
• National Association of College Admission
Counseling (NACAC) form
• To be completed with the help of the high school
counselor
• For graduating high school seniors entering college in the
fall
• Same eligibility criteria as the ACT and SAT waivers
• Can be based on income and/or the counselor’s
knowledge of the family’s circumstances
• Additional information is available at
http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/
Pages/default.aspx
College Application Fees
• Most colleges accept the College Board or NACAC
waiver forms; however, individual institutions may have
their own fee waiver policies that vary
• Colleges that use The Common Application
(https://www.commonapp.org/) accept the SAT
college application fee waiver
• Some colleges do not charge application fees for
students that apply online
• NCHE does not recommend using McKinney-Vento
subgrant funds or Title IA set-aside funds to pay for AP
exam, college entrance exam, or college application
fees
The FAFSA
FAFSA Basics
• FAFSA = Free Application for Federal Student
Aid
• The official FAFSA web address is
www.fafsa.gov
• Students applying for federal aid must
complete a FAFSA for each school year for
which they are seeking federal aid
FAFSA Basics
• A new FAFSA is released each January for the
upcoming school year
• Example: 2016-2017 FAFSA
• Released in January 2016
• Valid for students attending school for Fall 2016 and
Spring 2017
• Treatment of the Summer term depends on the
school
Calculation of Federal Aid
• EFC = Expected Family Contribution
• Based on the information submitted
on the FAFSA, the U.S. Department of
Education calculates the EFC
• Dependent Student
• Must report parent information on FAFSA
• EFC is based on parents’ and student’s
income and assets
• Independent Student
• Does NOT report parent information on FAFSA
• EFC is based on student’s income and assets
Who is Independent?
• Independent if ANY of these are true:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Married
24 years old
Veteran or on active duty
Graduate student
Has a legal dependent (child/other)
Orphan/Ward of the court/In a legal guardianship
Legally emancipated minor
In foster care at age 13 or older
Unaccompanied homeless youth
Independent by dependency override as
determined by a financial aid administrator
“Accompanied”
Homeless Youth
• Students experiencing homelessness with their
family fill out the FAFSA as dependent students
• Accompanied: In the physical custody of a parent or
guardian
• Homeless: Living arrangement meets the McKinneyVento definition of homeless
“Accompanied”
Homeless Youth
• The EFC is based on family income and assets
• Homeless students from low-income families likely will
qualify for the maximum amount of federal aid
• Example: The EFC Formula, 2016-2017 explains that dependent
students who received free school meals in 2014 or 2015, and
whose parents’ 2015 income is $25,000 or less, qualify for a $0
EFC
• Additional information is available at
https://www.ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachmen
ts/100615EFCFormulaGuide1617Attach.pdf
Unaccompanied,
Homeless, At-Risk
• Unaccompanied homeless youth and
unaccompanied youth at risk of homelessness fill
out the FAFSA as independent students
• Unaccompanied: Not in the physical custody of a parent
or guardian
• Homeless: Living arrangement meets the M-V definition of
homeless
• At risk of homelessness: When a student’s housing may
cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate, for example, a
student who is being evicted and has been unable to find
fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
Age Criteria
• Youth: 23 or younger or still enrolled in high
school on the date he/she signs the FAFSA
• 21 or younger in outlined in statute
• *NEW* 22 and 23 are included in a July 2015 US ED
Dear Colleague Letter
Age Criteria
• July 2015 US ED Dear Colleague Letter http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/GEN1516At
tach.pdf
“Applicants who are between the ages of 21 and 24
can who are unaccompanied and homeless or selfsupporting and at risk of being homeless qualify for a
homeless youth determination, and will be considered
independent students.”
Reminder: This is in addition to students ages 21 or younger or still
enrolled in high school on the date the FAFSA is signed, as outlined
in statute.
Determiners of
Independent Status
• Local homeless education liaison
For students graduating from high school who were
identified as an UHY while in high school
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) shelter director or designee
For students who have received services
• Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) shelter
director or designee
For students who have received services
• Financial Aid Administrator (FAA)
For any student, but particularly those who cannot get
a determination from one of the other three
authorized parties
Determinations of independent student
status for unaccompanied homeless youth
on the 2014-2015 FAFSA
21,156 Local liaison
3,731 RHYA shelter
3,869 HUD shelter
1,737 FAA
30,864 TOTAL
According to the AVG
• If a student does not have, and cannot get, a
determination from a local liaison, RHYA
provider, or HUD provider, a FAA must make a
determination of unaccompanied homeless
youth status
• If a student meets the definition of UHY, this is
not a dependency override; this is determining
the independent student status of an
unaccompanied homeless youth
According to the AVG
• Verification of “yes” answers to the
unaccompanied homeless youth questions on
the FAFSA is not required unless there is
conflicting information
• A FAA may determine a student’s status with a
documented interview
According to the AVG
• Encourages discretion and sensitivity when
gathering information
• Some information may be confidential (e.g.,
protected by doctor-patient privilege)
• Child welfare and/or law enforcement reports are
not necessary
• Recommends consulting with local liaisons,
State Coordinators, NCHE, school counselors,
clergy, etc.
2016-2017 Online FAFSA
• Online FAFSA includes four questions regarding
unaccompanied homeless youth, including for youth
who have no determination as of yet
• Encourage UHY to complete the FAFSA online
2016-2017
PDF/Paper FAFSA
• PDF FAFSA includes only 3 UHY-related questions
2016-2017
PDF/Paper FAFSA
• A student without a
determination of
independent status
must respond “no”
to UHY questions
and follow up with
the FAA
Tools
• For local liaisons and shelters
NAEHCY Template (Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Documentation of Independent Student Status for the
FAFSA) available at
http://www.naehcy.org/educationalresources/higher-ed
• For financial aid administrators
NCHE/NAEHCY FAA Tool (Making Student Status
Determinations for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth:
Eligibility Tool for Financial Aid Administrators) available
at http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/faa_tool.php
Scholarships,
State Resources, and
Undocumented Students
Private Scholarships
• Check with the high school’s guidance
counselor for a list of private scholarships
available to area students
• The NAEHCY Education Fund Scholarship:
http://www.naehcy.org/naehcy-scholarshipfund/about-the-fund
• Give Us Your Poor/Horatio Alger Scholarship:
https://scholars.horatioalger.org/
Private Scholarships
• Free scholarship search engines:
• Fastweb!: http://www.fastweb.com/
• College Board:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarshi
p-search
• U.S. Department of Education:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grantsscholarships/finding-scholarships (includes
scholarship search tips and guidelines)
State Resources
• Some states have special provisions available for lowincome and/or homeless students:
• Indiana: Students receiving free lunch receive a tuition waiver
when participating in Indiana’s Double Up Program (dual
enrollment in college courses for students in 11th and 12th grade)
http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title21/ar14/ch8.html
• Florida: Homeless students are exempt from the payment of
tuition and fees at a school district that provides postsecondary
career programs, community college, or state university (2011
F.S. 1009.25)
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Displ
ay_Statute&Search_String=&URL=10001099/1009/Sections/1009.25.html
*restrictions apply
Other Considerations
• Encourage the student to consider a variety of
institutions with different “price points”
• A student may not be able to afford a particular
institution, but other good college options may be
available
• A student may start at a community college and
transfer to a four-year college at a later time, but
needs to have a solid and informed transition plan
• Consider housing options if looking into a school
without dormitories
Undocumented Students
• Undocumented student
• Not a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident
• Does not possess a green card, visa, or other legal
documentation
• Undocumented students may face obstacles
in three areas:
• College admission
• Tuition
• Financial aid
College Admission
• Access to higher education for undocumented
students is highly state-specific and institution-specific
• No federal law prohibiting the admission of undocumented
students into U.S. colleges and universities
• Some states permit the admission of undocumented students
into state institutions
• Some private institutions permit the admission of undocumented
students
• Some states or institutions admit undocumented students but
treat them as out-of-state or foreign students, making them
ineligible for state aid and in-state tuition
College Tuition
• Some states charge undocumented students
out-of-state tuition fees
• Some states permit undocumented students to
pay in-state tuition under certain
circumstances
• Example: California permits undocumented students
to pay in-state tuition if the student has attended a
state high school for three or more years, has
graduated from a state high school, and signs an
affidavit promising to file an application to legalize
his/her immigration status
Financial Aid
• Undocumented students are not eligible to
receive federally funded financial aid
• Undocumented students are not eligible for state
aid in most states; a handful of states grant
eligibility for state aid to undocumented students
who qualify for in-state tuition
• Private colleges and universities set their own
financial aid policies; some grant scholarships and
other aid to undocumented students
• Many, but not all, private scholarships require
applicants to be U.S. citizens or legal residents
A Glance at the States
• From Reconciling Federal, State,
and Institutional Policies
Determining Educational Access
for Undocumented Students:
Implications for Professional
Practice, available at
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/E
D537525.pdf
More Information
• Visit
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidan
ce/financial-aid/undocumented-students for
more information, including:
• Information on state laws regarding college access
for undocumented students
• A list of scholarships available to all students,
regardless of immigration status
• Webinar handouts
http://www.serve.org/nche/web/college.php
• College Access and Success for Students Experiencing
Homelessness: A Toolkit for Educators and Service Providers
http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/he-toolkit
• State Coordinator for Homeless Education contact information
http://www.serve.org/nche/states/state_resources.php
• Information about TRIO
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html
• Information about GEAR UP
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html
Additional Resources