Maryland Higher Education Network Webinar October 11, 2016

Supporting Unaccompanied

Homeless Youth &

Foster Youth Students

Why this is important:

Each year, thousands of youth who experience homelessness or foster care

access postsecondary education programs while facing many barriers.

These situations can prevent students from accessing postsecondary education programs, or cause

disruption once they are on postsecondary campuses.

Today’s presenters from postsecondary institutions and community based

organizations will share resources and best practices to support homeless and foster

youth that access postsecondary education programs in Maryland.

Today’s Presenters

▪ Cyekeia Lee, Director of Higher Education Initiatives, NAEHCY, clee@naehcy.org

▪ Melissa Rock, Child Welfare Director, ACY, mrock@acy.org

▪ Rich Heath, Financial Aid Director, Anne Arundel Community College, rcheath@aacc.edu

▪ Heather Griner, Director, College and Community Outreach Services, Community College of Baltimore County, hgriner@ccbcmd.edu

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY’S WEBINAR

Open and close your panel

Submit text questions and

review responses

Today’s webinar will be

recorded and posted:

http://www.acy.org/policies/

child-welfare/policy-priorities-child-welfare/

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What is the Maryland Higher Education Network?

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MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION NETWORK

• Improving implementation of tuition waiver for UHY and FY including trainings and statutory fixes

•Outreach to ensure UHY, FY, and the professionals who work with them are well informed about the waivers

•Ensuring there is a robust service array for UHY & FY on their campuses to help them succeed academically

Goal: Improve Higher

Educational Outcomes for

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY) and Foster

Youth (FY)

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Maryland Higher Education Network Members

Conveners: Advocates for Children and Youth, Public Justice Center, & National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)—Contact us if you would like to join!

Anne Arundel County Community College, Baltimore City Community College,

Community College of Baltimore County, & Prince George’s County Community

College

Anne Arundel County & Baltimore City Public Schools

Baltimore Outreach

CollegeBound Foundation

Delegates Eric Ebersole & Mary Washington

Foster Care to Success

Hope Forward

Maryland Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers

Maryland Higher Education Commission

Maryland Legal Aid

Morgan State University

University System of Maryland

YES Drop-In Center

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NAEHCY HIGHER EDUCATION

NAEHCY is a national membership association that connects educators, parents, advocates, researchers, and

service providers to ensure school enrollment, attendance and overall

success for children and youth whose lives have been disrupted by the lack of safe,

permanent, and adequate housing.

NAEHCY’s Higher Education Initiative aims to promote college access and success for homeless youth that access higher education by

•Providing technical assistance via the NAEHCY Helpline

•Supporting and creating statewide higher education networks

•Providing state and national trainings

•Partnering with higher education associations and organizations to address physical, emotional, and academic barriers homeless students face

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Who are the unaccompanied homeless youth and foster youth?

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Youth Experiencing Homelessness

(Nationally) 2013-2014 school year

1,360,747 homeless children and youth enrolled in public

schools

8% increase over the previous year

100% increase since 2006-2007 recession

13% of all poor school aged children and youth

30% of all extremely poor school aged children and

youth

Over 90,000 unaccompanied homeless youth

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Youth Experiencing Homelessness

in Maryland

“Maryland lacks reliable data on the number and characteristics of UHYYA in our state, but available statistics indicate that the population is significant and growing. For instance, a 2011 count in Baltimore City identified 640 UHYYA, a 50% increase from 2009, and Maryland State

Department of Education data indicated a 267% increase in the number of unaccompanied homeless students identified by local school districts between 2008 and 2012 (from 431 to 1,577).” (http://tinyurl.com/zts8dbx)

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13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

16,500

SY10-11 SY11-12 SY12-13

Identified

Homeless Students

Enrolled in

Maryland k-12…

http://nchespp.serve.org/

profile/MD

2015 Homeless Youth Count Demonstration Continuum of Care

# of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth identified during Youth

REACH MD Survey

Annapolis/Anne Arundel 46

Baltimore City 540

Baltimore County 54

Lower Shore 30

Prince George's County 122

Washington County/Hagerstown 42

Total 834

“Maryland’s First

Unaccompanied

Homeless

Youth & Young

Adult Count:

Findings from

Youth REACH MD

Phase 2,” March

2016

(http://www.youth

reachmd.com/)

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Maryland’s College Aged Foster Youth

Maryland Department of Human Resources, SSA, Child Welfare Data, June 2016, pp. 32 & 60. http://dhr.maryland.gov/documents/Data%20and%20Re

ports/SSA/Monthly%20Child%20Welfare%20Data/SFY%202

016/2016-06-Child-Welfare-Data.pdf

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What’s the problem?

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Barriers to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Homeless & Foster Youth

Lack of access to parental financial

information and support

Lack of financial

means to live independently and safely

Inability to be

financially self-sufficient

once enrolled in

college

Limited housing options,

especially in small towns

or rural areas

Struggling to balance

school and other

responsibilities

Lack of adult guidance

and support

Lack of information

about available support systems

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Barriers to Higher Education for UHY & FY: Mobility

• 41% of homeless students attend 2+ schools in a year

• 28% attend 3+ schools in a year

Homeless youth

•Children who left foster care by age 18 had an average of 3 placement changes. Those who were in foster care through age 18 experienced even more changes.

•65% children entering foster care change schools mid-year

•Survey of former foster youth: 65% experienced 7+ school changes

Foster youth

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Barriers to Higher Education for UHY & FY: Mobility

•Results in lower math and reading scores

•National study: Students who transferred 2+ times between 8th & 12th grade twice as likely to drop out

•Students who transferred 4+ times by grade 6 lost 1 year academically

•Schools with significant student mobility report impact on non-mobile students and overall school climate

Mobility undermines

achievement

•Difficulty transferring/accruing credits

•Enrollment requirements - e.g. school records, health records, proof of residence and guardianship

•School uniform requirements

•Different rules/expectations across schools

•Programs/supports available at some schools and not others

•Lack of friends, familiar teachers, opportunity to learn about activities

Why?

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High School Graduation Disparities for Foster Youth

Jurisdiction

# of FY

Graduated

Percent FY

Graduating # of total Graduated

Percent total Graduated

Percent FY Not

Graduated

Total FY in 12th grade

Allegany N/A N/A 638 92.1% N/A N/A

Anne Arundel * 100.0% 5,025 88.0% 0.0% *

Baltimore City 81 65.9% 3,540 69.5% 34.1% 123

Baltimore County 24 72.7% 6,882 87.8% 27.3% 33

Calvert * 50.0% 1,264 94.2% 50.0% *

Caroline * 100.0% 354 88.7% 0.0% * Carroll * 40.0% N/A N/A 60.0% *

Cecil * 77.8% 1,060 87.8% 22.2% *

Charles * 75.0% 2,127 92.4% 25.0% *

Dorchester * 100.0% 306 86.2% 0.0% *

Frederick 11 64.7% 2,861 93.5% 35.3% 17

Garrett * 50.0% 243 93.5% 50.0% *

Harford * 40.0% 2,602 89.9% 60.0% *

Howard * 100.0% 3,839 93.5% 0.0% *

Kent * 0.0% 158 90.8% 100.0% *

Montgomery 15 57.7% 9,940 89.4% 42.3% 26

Prince George's 23 65.7% 7,321 78.8% 34.3% 35

Queen Anne's * 50.0% 571 94.9% 50.0% *

St. Mary's * 100.0% 1,231 94.3% 0.0% *

Somerset N/A N/A 161 88% N/A N/A

Talbot * 100.0% 290 93.3% 0.0% *

Washington * 53.8% 1,599 91.2% 46.2% 13

Wicomico * 100.0% 857 83.5% 0.0% * Worcester * 50.0% 486 93.1% 50.0% *

TOTAL 202 66.7% 55,473 87.0% 33.3% 303

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What are some financial resources to help pay for college?

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FAFSA: Unaccompanied Homeless Youth & Foster Youth

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Online

FAFSA

2016-

2017

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Financial Aid– The Basics

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• Families are expected to contribute to higher education costs to the extent they are able

Expected family contribution (EFC)

• New FAFSA release date October 1, (beginning 2016)

• For dependent students, income and asset information required for both the student and a parent; parental signature require

• For independent students, no parental signature nor income and asset information is needed

FAFSA

Prior-prior Tax Year Information

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Students and parents will now need to include add “Prior-Prior” tax information (Tax information from 2 years prior, beginning October 1, 2016)

•http://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/announcement-detail.jsp?id=2017-18-fafsa-changes.

Resources on new FAFSA release date available for students, parents, and counselors

College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA)

• Can apply for financial aid without parental signature or consideration of parental income

• Must be determined by:

• Local homeless liaison

• RHYA-funded shelter director or designee

• HUD-funded shelter director or designee

• College financial aid administrator

Independent student status for unaccompanied homeless youth

and self-supporting youth

at risk of homelessness

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How do you verify if a young person is an Unaccompanied Homeless Youth?

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Verification of UHY Status Form

•Can be used by any of the four verifiers:

•Local homeless liaison

•RHYA-funded shelter director or designee

•HUD-funded shelter director or designee

•College financial aid administrator

•Copy should be on file with the school, one with student, and one sent to college/university.

•Valid for only one academic year from the district homeless liaison.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Documentation of Independent

Student Status for the FAFSA:

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Application and Verification Guide Updated Application and Verification Guide released in 2016

Borrows language from NCHE’s brief Determining Eligibility located

at: http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf

Homeless youth status determination is not considered a case of

professional judgement

It is not conflicting information if the FAA disagrees with an authorities

determination

Institutions are not required to verify answers to homeless youth status

questions unless there is conflicting information

Student can use mailing address of friend or relative where they can

receive reliable mail, or they may use an address on campus if they

receive permission

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Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Interview Sample Questions

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Please summarize parental contact and support.

• Is it regular (predictable, routine, and consistent) fixed (permanent, unlikely to change)?

• Is it adequate? (meets physical and psychological needs, utilities on, building codes)?

Describe your living accommodations.

Describe how are you supporting yourself (purchasing food, clothes, and basic needs)?

Are you working? How many hours a week? Where are you working?

Required Components For Determination of UHY Status

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At risk of being

homeless : Y/N OR Homeless:

Y/N

Self-supporting:

Y/N

Unaccompanied youth/not living in physical company

of parent:

Y/N

Student is 21 yrs. or less: Y/N

OR Enrolled in high school :

Y/N

(22-24 yrs. old also may qualify)

2014-2015 Application and UHY Verification Guide

• Not required unless there is conflicting information.

• Documented interview (even via phone) is acceptable.

• Should be done with discretion and sensitivity.

• Some information may be confidential.

• Child welfare reports are not necessary.

• Guidance recommends consulting with local homeless liaisons, State Coordinators, NAEHCY, school counselors, clergy, etc.

Financial Aid Admin. Verification:

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Role of Financial Aid Administrator

• According to the Application and Verification Guide, if a student does not have, and cannot get, documentation from a local liaison, RHYA provider, or HUD provider, a FAA must make a determination of homeless/unaccompanied status.

• This is not an “exercise of professional judgment” or a “dependency override” for youth 21 and younger; this is determining the independent student status of an unaccompanied homeless youth.

Role of the Financial Aid Administrator

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Maryland’s Tuition Waiver for UHY & FY See MD Code Education § 15-106.1

Who Qualifies?

What does it

provide?

•Current foster youth & some former foster youth or unaccompanied homeless youth; and

•Under 25 years old, and

•Obtained high school diploma or GED

•Up to 5 years of free tuition at a public, state institution in Maryland

• Includes all costs, charges and fees associated with enrollment in credit and non-credit courses for:

•Bachelor’s degree

•Associates degree

•Vocational Certificate

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Homeless Youth Eligible for Tuition Waiver

He/she lives an unstable housing situation (e.g. couch surfing, shelter, on the streets, in a car or a vacant house or building) without financial or other support from parents or

legal guardian; and

He/she has been in Maryland consistently for at least a 1 year; and

He/she has been determined to be homeless by the school district’s homeless education liaison, the director of a HUD-funded shelter, or the director of a Runaway and Homeless Youth Act basic center, or the Financial Aid officer for the

prospective or current college.

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Current & Former Foster Youth Eligible for Tuition Waiver

Resided in out-of-home placement on his/her 18th birthday; or

Resided in out-of-home placement on his/her 13th birthday, and were placed into guardianship or adopted; or

The younger sibling of someone who was in out-of-home placement on his/her 13th birthday and were placed into

guardianship or adopted by the same family; or

Resided in out-of-home placement in Maryland for at least 1 year on or after his/her 13th birthday and returned to his/her

parent’s home.

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What supportive services are available for Unaccompanied

Homeless Youth and Foster Youth?

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On Campus Supportive Services

College Student

Financial Aid

Admissions

Registrar

Health Services

Counseling Services

Police & Public Safety

Residence Life

Academic Support

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UHY/ Foster

Youth in College

LDSS

ETV

Aging out of foster

care

Medicaid

Housing (during school breaks)

Public Assistance

Complex Family

Dynamics

Trauma

Foster & Homeless Youth Ecosystem

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Navigating Multiple Systems

Student

Financial Aid

Admissions

Registrar

Health Services

Counseling Services

Police & Public Safety

Residence Life

Academic Support

Foster Youth/ UHY in

College

LDSS ETV

Aging out of foster

care

Medicaid

Housing (during school breaks)

Public Assistance

Complex Family

Dynamics

Trauma

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Supportive Services Best Practices: Partnerships (Prince George’s Community College-PGCC)

Prince George’s Community College’s Coordinator of Recruitment added Foster Youth as a special population, so they could be on her caseload

Partnership between PGCC and Prince George’s County Department of Social Services (PGDSS)

PGCC is training PGDSS caseworkers

Created a referral system- other caseworkers and other foster youth come to her with questions, and she’s able to help them navigate the system

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Supportive Services Best Practices: Student Navigators

(Community College of Baltimore County– CCBC)

Financial Aid office at Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) gets the list of foster youth receiving tuition waiver.

CCBC has a College & Community Outreach Office with 1 full-time Director and 5 part-time navigators.

• They bridge students to services such as: Clinical Counseling, transportation assistance, pro bono lawyers, emergency funds

• The navigators meet individually with students

• In their first year, they helped over 300 students

CCBC also has 2 earned benefits specialists on campus who help students apply for public benefits including Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and daycare vouchers.

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Supportive Services Best Practices: Work Group (University of Maryland College Park- UMCP)

To better meet the needs of their UHY and FY students, UMCP created a work group. The group included their Counseling Center, Health Center, Financial Aid Office, , Maryland Incentive Programs, Dining Services, Student Affairs Office, TRIO programs, Resident Life, Student Union, advocates from each academic area, students, and other staff and faculty who volunteered to be involved.

The workgroup researched what has been done for those student populations historically as well as best practices from across the country.

The Director of their Office of Parent and Family Affairs will be serving as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for UMCP.

• The Financial Aid Office will e-mail UHY and FY utilizing tuition waiver and give them the contact information for the SPOC

• The SPOC will tell them what he can help them with

• The SPOC will follow up to make sure they fill out their FAFSA

• The SPOC will help them navigate through any issues with financial aid and connect them with any services that they need and are available.

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QUESTIONS? Monisha Cherayil

Public Justice Center

cherayilm@publicjustice.org

(410) 625-9409 x234

www.publicjustice.org

Cyekeia Lee

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children & Youth

clee@naehcy.org NAEHCY Higher Education Hotline:

(855) 446-2673

www.naehcy.org

Melissa Rock

Advocates for Children and Youth

mrock@acy.org

(410) 547-9200 x3024

www.acy.org

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