Creating Pathways for Successful Transition into Postsecondary Programs for Youth Experiencing Homelessness NAEHCY 2015 Pre-Conference

Section I: Choosing a College 2NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Choosing A School 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 3NAEHCY 2015 Conference

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College Search Tool 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 5NAEHCY 2015 Conference

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I’m First! Organization with online community and resources for first generation college students Students can locate and connect with colleges and universities Students can create online profiles and share first generation stories Apply for I’m First Scholarship 7NAEHCY 2015 Conference

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Admissions Requirements Admissions advisor Know the admissions requirements (GPA, GED, ACT, SAT) Get SAT/ACT Waiver at at Adhere to application deadlines for desired semester Submit application fee Get application fee waiver Submit additional documentation (Essay, transcript, etc.) 9NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Admissions Requirements Admissions Missed application deadlines Apply at on-site admissions days Apply for next semester 10 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Dual Enrollment Programs Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation Allows students to transition from high school to college easily Check for programs in your state See if colleges already have programs with schools from your district Tuition may not be covered based on students UHY status 11NAEHCY 2015 Conference

College Bridge Programs Individual colleges may offer their own bridge programs to help entering freshmen have a smooth transition. Offer the following: College-level courses (earn college credit hours) Development seminars College life workshops Social events Mentoring provided by current students Counsel for Opportunities in Education key=040cec49-d b9fa-1f30bef9c919 key=040cec49-d b9fa-1f30bef9c919 12NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Financial Aid Complete FAFSA as early as possible Available January 1, 2015 for Will be released on October 1for future academic years Deadlines State priority deadline College priority deadline 13NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Financial Aid 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 14 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Choosing a Major & Understanding Expectations 15NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Choosing A Major 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 16NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Take a Career Assessment 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 17NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Choosing Classes 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) 18NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Understanding College Fees There are many fees associated with attending college (tuition, student activity, medical insurance, housing, books, meal plans, miscellaneous, etc. ) Students should review bill to go over all fees Ask for assistance from Cashier 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 Office 19NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Understanding College Fees 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 round housing availability If not see if host families are in the area Students can consider becoming a residential advisor and receive housing at a reduced fee 20NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Health Insurance Homeless students should see if they are eligible for any free state health insurance Determine if health insurance or immunizations are required for program eport.asp eport.asp Consider the benefit of student fee (health insurance versus being uninsured) 21NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Student Services Student services offices can include: Student Life/Student Center, Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, Academic Advising, Tutoring, Career Services/Counseling, Testing Center, Ombudsman Office Students should know where each office is located and what services they provide Remind students they are paying for these services so take advantage of them 22NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Best Practices in High School Focus on FASFSA completion! Early Awareness 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 23 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Best Practices on Campus 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 24NAEHCY 2015 Conference

NAEHCY Higher Education Resources NAEHCY College Access and Success Toolkit Webinars Podcast Series Toll-Free Helpline or 25NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Section II: Paying for College 26NAEHCY 2015 Conference

What is Financial Aid? Any source of funds other than from the family used to pay college expenses 27NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Sources of Financial Aid Federal government States Colleges Private sources 28NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Costs that Can be Paid with Financial Aid Direct costs Indirect costs 29 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Standard federal form Must be completed every year Asks for demographic and financial information Some students must provide parental information 30NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Dependency Status 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 31 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Who Can Make a Determination that a Student is an UHY? 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 32 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Department of Education Guidance Determinations are not the use of professional judgment or a dependency override Use McKinney-Vento Act definitions Use of a documented interview 33NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Department of Education Guidance Reach out to homeless education professionals Use of discretion 34 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Department of Education Guidance Dear Colleague Letter GEN Re-enforces guidance provided in other publications Determination process Expands the definition of “youth” for purpose of making determinations 35NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Tools for Financial Aid Administrators Determination of independent status template Making determinations tool 36 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Other Forms and Applications CSS Profile Institutional applications 37 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Awarding Process Cost of Attendance (COA) ─ Expected Family Contribution (EFC) ____________________________________ Financial Need 38 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Awarding Process Financial aid packages consist of a mix of: Grants/scholarships Work Loans 39 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Awarding Process Packaging philosophy varies from college to college so a student’s financial aid offer will also vary from college to college 40 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Understanding Budgets College use the same standard cost components Value of components will vary based on college type, location, and other factors 41NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Understanding Award Letters EFC will be the same regardless of college Mix of aid will vary by college Look at out of pocket costs 42NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Scholarships Common sources Civic organizations Houses of worship Nonprofit organizations and foundations 43 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Searching for Scholarships Fastweb!: College Board: search search U.S. Department of Labor: h/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=categ ory&nodeid=22 h/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=categ ory&nodeid=22 44 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Impact of Outside Scholarships Could reduce existing aid package from college Changes depend on school policies and procedures 45 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Resources: State Programs 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) 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 2015 Conference

Resources: State Programs 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 =Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL= /1009/Sections/ html =Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL= /1009/Sections/ html Look for resources in your state! 47NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Resources: Scholarships Check with the high school’s guidance counselor for a list of private scholarships available to area students The NAEHCY Scholarship Fund: (application period closed until 2016) Give Us Your Poor/Horatio Alger Scholarship: NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Undocumented Students 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 49 NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Panel Discussion 50NAEHCY 2015 Conference

Student Perspective 51NAEHCY 2015 Conference

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Contact Us…. Cyekeia Lee, Director of Higher Education Initiatives, NAEHCY Jennifer Martin, Director of University Financial Aid Compliance, Johns Hopkins University 53NAEHCY 2015 Conference