1. TEMPLATE DESIGN © 2008 www.PosterPresentations.com External Shelters/Transitional Living Centers Foster Transition Center School Districts/High School Counselors/Homeless Liaisons Community colleges Workforce centers CPS program Internal University of Texas at El Paso Admissions and Recruitment Miner Village-Housing Financial Aid University Counseling Center University Career Center Campus referrals (colleges/provost office) TRIO Programs Student Support Services Program Upward Bound Sergio Contreras Silvia Martinez Academic Advisor Academic Advisor FHAR Specialist E: scontreras4@miners.utep.edu E: smartinez24@utep.edu The University of Texas - El Paso Academic Advising Center 500 W. University Avenue El Paso, TX 79968 T: 915.747.5290 (AAC) T: 915-747-6674 (FHAR) E: fhar@utep.edufhar@utep.edu www.utep.edu/fhar Students’ Concerns Shelter Food Money Transportation Employment Resources Confidentially Identify the needs Housing Financial Academic Support Help accessing and understanding university policy and procedures Interventions/Research Tuition Waiver Financial Aid access/denial Be Aware Listen Interventions Research Refer Collaborate Follow Up Questions Advisor Processes Be Aware Campus and local resourcesListen Identify the needs Housing, financial aid, transportation, academic support, mental health Help accessing and understanding university policy and procedures Interventio ns/Research Tuition waiver Financial aid access/denialRefer Make it personalCollaborate McKinney-Vento Homeless Educational Assistance Act, Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act: lacks a fixed, regular, adequate, night-time residence, Federal definition of homelessness – lacks a fixed, regular, adequate, night-time residence, lives in a shelter, hotel/motel, substandard housing, double up due to loss of housing, unsheltered in a public place not meant to be housing, i.e., parks, play grounds, camp grounds, bus stations, abandoned buildings, cars, etc. Is abandoned in a hospital, or is awaiting foster care placement. Who is Homeless? Foster Children, Texas Education Code §54.211: “For individuals who were in foster care or other residential care under the conservatorship of the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services on or after the day preceding the individual’s 18 th birthday, the day of the student’s 14 th birthday if the student was eligible for adoption on or after that day, or the day the student received a high school diploma or equivalent.” DEADLINE: Enrolls no later than 25 th birthday in order to be eligible for Texas Tuition Waiver Foster What we’ve seen… “Awaiting” foster care In a shelter Ran away from foster care and living in a homeless situation Aged out and is living in a homeless situation Other – living in a homeless situation Texas Homeless Education Office University of Texas at Austin Socorro ISD Training Packet Lack of understanding of homelessness in academia Lack of policy in institutions of higher learning Lack of understanding of academic among social service providers Fear/uncertainty on the part of institutions, clients, providers Openness to learn and collaborate on both sides… Any Changes since last meeting? Key Areas: Academically Housing/food Employment Transportation Health care Socially Self esteem (Optional) FHAR Students What is FHAR? Mission : To connect foster, homeless and adopted individuals through education and advocacy with resources that will assist holistically with the UTEP experience FHAR Assistance: Tuition Waiver Advising/Mentoring Referrals Homeless Verification Access to Housing Referrals Wrap Around Services Mission : To connect foster, homeless and adopted individuals through education and advocacy with resources that will assist holistically with the UTEP experience FHAR Assistance: Tuition Waiver Advising/Mentoring Referrals Homeless Verification Access to Housing Referrals Wrap Around Services www.utep.edu/fhar FHAR Status FHAR students are assigned a status determined by their primary area of need. Academic Standing depends on the student’s GPA. A student will have no academic standing until they have established a GPA. Students are listed as eligible to re-enroll once they have established an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher with half of the FHAR caseload being eligible to reenroll. Students who do not meet the overall 2.0 GPA will be on probation the first semester. Academic Level Academic levels are indicated by the number of credit hours completed at the University. Freshman will have up to 29 credit hours, sophomores between 30-59 credit hours, juniors between 60-89 credit hours, and seniors have 90 or more credit hours. Graduate students seeking a PhD or master’s degree are also included in the data making. www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/total- homelessness-by-state-state-of-homelessness-2011 www.endhomelessness.org/pages/snapshot_of_homelessness http://www.facehomelessness.org/Home/texas-homeless-facts-and-statistics External/Internal Relationships The El Paso Coalition for the Homeless Point in Time Survey 2012 January 26, 2012 According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about 50,000 youth in the U.S. sleep on the street for six months or more Over 2,500 Students coded as Homeless in Region 19 Schools as per the McKinney-Vento Act Note: Homeless Verification Waiver