By Jillian Sitjar, Director of Higher Education Partnerships at SchoolHouse Connection
Reading time: Two minutes
Note: Since this article was originally published, FSA has announced that the Better FAFSA will open by December 31, 2023.
An estimated 700,000 youth between the ages of 13 and 17, and 3.5 million young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, experience homelessness on their own each year. These youth face numerous barriers to college access and completion, including high mobility, histories of abuse and neglect, and lack of a parent or guardian. Many students are unaware that they meet the definition of an unaccompanied homeless youth, or an unaccompanied youth at risk of homelessness and self-supporting, until they start filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Burdensome FAFSA rules also have presented often insurmountable obstacles. Fortunately, the FAFSA Simplification Act contains important new policies on youth homelessness and foster care that went into effect for the 2023-24 award year that remove these barriers and streamline assistance.
Under the law, youth who are determined to be homeless and unaccompanied, or unaccompanied, at risk of homelessness, and self-supporting, are considered independent students, and do not need parental information. Higher education institutions are now required to accept “unaccompanied homeless youth determinations” made by authorized entities, unless there is specific conflicting information. Specific authorized entities include a school district liaison or their designee; a director or designee of a director of an emergency shelter or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or any other program serving individuals experiencing homelessness; and TRIO or GEAR UP directors or designees.
With an “unaccompanied homeless youth determination,” youth experiencing homelessness can apply for financial aid as independent students expeditiously, and are spared the trauma of sharing personal details or trying to find other “proof” of homelessness.
Per the law and additional guidance from the US Department of Education, if a student has received a documented determination from any of the authorities, “the institution must not request additional documentation, proof, or statements unless it has conflicting information about the student’s status.”
It is important to note that, under the law, the homeless and foster youth provisions are different and distinct from “provisional independent student status” or “unusual circumstances.” Unlike these statuses, financial aid administrators must make determinations for unaccompanied homeless youth and foster youth, following the processes outlined in the law - it is not a matter of professional judgment or a dependency override. This can be confusing for college access programs and financial aid offices, since unusual circumstances are frequently the cause, or contributing factors to, youth homelessness. Therefore it’s important to sensitively ask questions about potential homelessness, so that youth who experience homelessness on their own are not directed to lengthier or more burdensome processes.
SchoolHouse Connection’s FAFSA page offers many resources on these new provisions, including a sample form letter for authorized entities to use in making determinations, summaries, webinars, and more. We are excited to partner with the National College Attainment Network to inform the broader college access and attainment community about these changes in the FAFSA and to work together to support youth experiencing homelessness to and through higher education.
Email to a Friend