Paul Doane – Grand Rapids CCMark Delorey – Western Michigan U

Assisting Vulnerable Populations

Fraud/ID Theft

• Some of the topics we will discuss are very troubling

• We need to discuss the issues openly and honestly

• Financial Aid folks are often NOT heroes in the stories these students tell

• As a profession, we need to do much better

• Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY)

• Foster Youth• Undocumented Students• Human trafficking victims• Refugees• Independent by PJ?

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Access to financial resources•Lack of love, acceptance, support

The status is part of the…

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act

Most of the provisions assist students in K-12

* Unaccompanied: not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian

•Homeless: lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

•Youth: 21 years old or younger

•(Older should be ready for PJ)

Note: Specifically includes sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason (“couch-surfing”); motels; shelters; transitional housing; campgrounds; cars

Parental abuse - physical and sexual Abandoned or neglectedKicked out due to sexual orientation

or pregnancyReturned from foster care to

unstable/unsafe arrangementsAdopted from foster care, but kicked

out after age 18Exited from foster care without

adequate housing and/or supports

• No!• Heck no!!• Absolutely not!!!

• Why not???????

School District homeless liaison

Runaway shelter director or designee

HUD-funded shelter director or designee

College financial aid administrator: US!

• Read the HandbookAVG, Chapter 5, page 127-128

• “If a student does not have, and cannot get, documentation from any of the authorities given on page 28, you must determine if she is UHY.”

• “You are not required to verify the answers to the homeless youth questions unless you have conflicting information.”

• 60,000 UHY FAFSA Filers each year• Blackstone’s ratio:

"It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer“

• Government and the courts must err on the side of innocence

• Ben Franklin said ratio should be

100:1

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Access to financial resources•Lack of love, acceptance, support

• Removed from parents as the result of abuse and neglect

• Wards of the state with termination of parental rights

• Refugees and trafficking victims may also be placed in foster care

• TIP• Education Training Voucher ETV• Refugee Education Voucher REV

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Lack of love, acceptance, support

• Here without having legal presence• Usually brought to U.S. by parents• DACA status allows work• Individuals within families may

have varying statuses• No access to Title IV assistance• 14th Amendment – Equal protection

for “all persons”

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Access to financial resources•Lack of love, acceptance, support

• What is a synonym for trafficking?

•Sex trafficking and forced labor•In the U.S. 40% are U.S. citizens•85% in sex trafficking are women•40% in forced labor are men

• 50,000 annually brought to U.S.• U.S. grants a T-Visa to victims • 5,000 available annually• 2,000 granted since 2009 (.67%)• T-Visas ARE Title IV eligible

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Access to financial resources•Lack of love, acceptance, support

• Broad category!• Varied experiences! War-Politics From…• “Lost Boys” of South Sudan

to…• Children of political dissidents

• 48,000 per year to the U.S. (10% of legal immigration)

Title IV eligibility must be determined on an individual basis.

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Access to financial resources•Lack of love, acceptance, support

• Separation from parents did/should occur

• Physical, sexual abuse• Mental illness – substance abuse• Banishment from family• NOT a lack of willingness to

support

Common factors:•Poor educational background•Food and housing insecurity•Abuse and neglect•Trauma (unimaginable trauma!)•Living in constant fear•Access to financial resources•Lack of love, acceptance, support

• LISTEN and be empathetic• Avoid judgment• Lessen the barriers: make it work• Search out additional assistance• Offer to be a contact • Refer when appropriate• Follow up after initial contact• Be human and CARE / SUPPORT

• 2 year community college• Open admission• 24,000 students (12/13 academic

year)• 50,150 ISIRS received• 31,338 applications processed• 11, 863 selected for verification• 6,878 verifications completed

•10,863 Pell Grant recipients•$33,681,178 Pell Grant funds disbursed•872 students received TIP•665 students received institutional scholarships – $580,818 disbursed•357 received Michigan Competitive Scholarships - $367,904 disbursed•FA suspension appeals – 1545 received, 1050 approved•No institutional need-based grant funds •No campus housing or meal plan available•Large population of under-prepared, first generation and at risk students

• Identify students classified as independent only by answering “yes” to questions 52-57 (13-14 FAFSA) or questions 53-58 (14-15 FAFSA)

• Send request to provide documentation to verify answer(s)

• Review documentation on a case by case basis to determine dependency status

• Meet with student to resolve conflicting information or when documentation is not available

• Student answered question accurately• Student was coached to provide false information

• Student did not understand the question• Student made a honest mistake • Documentation is not always readily available

• Student is willing to make changes that reflect true dependency status in order to obtain financial aid

• Other sources of aid are identified for the student (even if independent status in not confirmed)

• Build positive relationships with students• See students on walk-in basis• Dedicated staff member (Mary Kay Bethune)• Connections with outside agencies

• Discover other needs that may be barriers to success (housing, medical, food, emergency funds)

• Provide dignity and integrity (not to embarrass or cause harm)

• Connect students with support services • Advising, testing, academic support• Referrals to On track and Fast Track programs• Disability services, counseling, MIWORKS,

TIP, ETV, TRIO.