CREATING PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION INTO POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 2013 NAEHCY Preconference

2013 NAEHCY Conference 2 Section I: Choosing a College

Students have many options to advance education beyond high school  Two-year community and junior colleges  Four-year colleges and universities  Technical, Vocational, or Trade School  college/choosing-schools college/choosing-schools 2013 NAEHCY Conference 3

 general school information;  tuition, fees, and estimated student expenses;  types of financial aid provided;  net price;  enrollment;  admissions requirements;  retention and graduation rates;  accreditation;  campus security statistics; and  default rates for students with student loans 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 4

 Admission’s Advisor  Know the admissions requirements (GPA, GED, ACT, SAT)  Get SAT/ACT Waiver   t t  Adhere to application deadlines for desired semester  Submit application fee  Get Application fee waiver   Submit additional documentation (Essay, or transcript)

 Admissions  Missed application deadlines  Apply at on-site admissions days  Apply for next semester  Student did not meet admissions requirements  Bridge program  TRIO program  Home.aspx?hkey=040cec49-d b9fa- 1f30bef9c919 Home.aspx?hkey=040cec49-d b9fa- 1f30bef9c NAEHCY Conference Slide 6

 Financial Aid  Complete FAFSA as early as possible Available  January 1 each year for next academic year   Deadlines  State priority deadline  College priority deadline

 Documentation  Homeless Student Status  Submit determination of UHY status from verifier to Financial Aid Office  Verification  Separate process than verifying homeless status  Student will need to submit requested tax/income information in a timely manner 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 8

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 Before choosing a major students should figure out what jobs or careers they are passionate about  Occupational Outlook Handbook   Students should consider jobs earning potential  Determine what schools offer that major  Where is the school located?  Consider the cost for the degree

 To decide if a careers matches a students skills and interests they can take a career assessment  Free assessments can be found at  CareerShip  Skills Profiler  O*NET

 Schedule an appointment with an Academic Advisor  Get overview of degree requirements  Map out course schedule for the year  Create a Plan of Work to outline degree completion (Refer to catalog or bulletin)

 There are many fee’s associated with attending college (tuition, student activity, medical insurance, housing, books, meal plans, miscellaneous, )  Students should review bill to go over all fee’s  Ask for assistance from Cashiers, or Student Accounts Office  If a student is being charged for a student activity fee encourage them to use the service (recreation, university transportation)  Seek alternative options for books (online versus bookstore)  Book Vouchers from Financial Aid

 It is vital that homeless students determine the best housing/meal plan for them (on/off campus)  If a homeless student is residing on campus communicate with Housing Office for year long housing availability  If not see if host families are in the area   Student can consider becoming a Residential Advisor and housing at a reduced fee

 Homeless students should see if they are eligible for any free state health insurance   Determine if health insurance or immunizations are required for program  tReport.asp tReport.asp  Consider the benefit of student fee (health insurance versus being uninsured)

 Student Services offices can include:  Student Life/Student Center, Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, Academic Advising, Tutoring, Career Services/Counseling, Testing Center, Ombudsman Office  Student should know where each office is located and what services they provide  Remind student they are paying for these services so take advantage of them

Focus on FASFSA completion! × FAFSA Week – see × Inform unaccompanied youth of college options as soon as they are identified as homeless × Make sure high school counselors know about the FAFSA policies for UHY × Arrange for students to visit local colleges and universities × Use a template for verification – × Connect UHY to Gear-Up, Upward Bound, other TRIO programs 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 17

 Campus advisors can work together to create campus networks to focus on meeting needs of homeless youth  Communicate with local homeless liaisons to streamline the transition process  Get involved with local state network for homeless youth that are accessing higher education  Create a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) on Campus

2013 NAEHCY Conference 19 Section II: Paying for College

Any source of funds other than from the family used to pay college expenses 2013 NAEHCY Conference 20

 Federal government  States  Colleges  Private sources 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 21

 Direct costs  Indirect costs 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 22

 Standard federal form  Must be completed every year  Asks for demographic and financial information  Some students must provide parental information 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 23

 Dependent students must provide parental data on FAFSA  Expectation of parental support  Independent students do not provide parental data on FAFSA  No expectation of parental support 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 24

 School district liaisons  Director or designee of a HUD-funded emergency shelter or transitional housing program  Director or designee of a runaway or homeless youth basic shelter or transitional living program  Financial aid administrator 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 25

 Determinations are not the use of professional judgment or a dependency override  Use McKinney-Vento Act definitions  Use of a documented interview 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 26

 Reach out to homeless education professionals  Use of discretion  Students may appeal financial aid administrator’s determination to Department of Education 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 27

 Determination of independent status template  Making determinations tool 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 28

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 CSS Profile  Institutional applications 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 30

Cost of Attendance (COA) ─ Expected Family Contribution (EFC) ____________________________________ Financial Need 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 31

 Financial aid packages consist of a mix of:  Grants/scholarships  Work  Loans 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 32

Packaging philosophy varies from college to college so a student’s financial aid offer will also vary from college to college 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 33

 College use the same standard cost components  Value of components will vary based on college type, location, and other factors 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 34

 EFC will be the same regardless of college  Mix of aid will vary by college  Look at out of pocket costs 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 35

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 Common sources  Civic organizations  Houses of worship  Nonprofit organizations and foundations 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 37

 Fastweb!:  College Board: search search  U.S. Department of Labor: h/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=catego ry&nodeid=22 h/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=catego ry&nodeid= NAEHCY Conference Slide 38

 Could reduce existing aid package from college  Changes depend on school policies and procedures 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 39

 Some states have special provisions available for low- income 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 11 th and 12 th grade) l l  Indiana – Twenty-First Century Scholars Program - Income- eligible 7th and 8th graders who enroll in the program and fulfill a pledge of good citizenship are guaranteed to receive up to four years of undergraduate tuition at any participating public college or university in Indiana NAEHCY Conference Slide 40

 Florida – Homeless students are exempt from the payment of tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that provides postsecondary career programs, community college, or state university (2011 F.S ); Florida statute establishes the definition of “homeless” used _mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL= /1009/Sections/ html _mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL= /1009/Sections/ html  Look for resources in your state! 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 41

 Check with the high school’s guidance counselor for a list of private scholarships available to area students  The LeTendre Education Fund Scholarship: (application period closed until 2013)  Give Us Your Poor/Horatio Alger Scholarship: NAEHCY Conference Slide 42

 Not eligible to receive federal student aid  May be eligible for state and/or institutional aid  Depending on state, may qualify for in-state tuition  General requirements 2013 NAEHCY Conference Slide 43

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 Cyekeia Lee,  Jennifer Martin, 2013 NAEHCY Conference 46