Cross reference:
Best Practices and Model Programs: Access to Higher Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Information by Topic: Scholarships for Higher Education
Sample Forms and Materials: Access to Higher Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Best Practices and Model Programs: Access to Higher Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Information by Topic: Scholarships for Higher Education
Sample Forms and Materials: Access to Higher Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Access to Higher Education for Students Experiencing Homelessness
NCHE Higher Education Poster (available in English and Spanish)
This 8˝ x 11 color poster, created in collaboration with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and based on the unaccompanied homeless youth provisions of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, alerts unaccompanied homeless youth to contact the relevant authorities if they believe they may qualify for independent student status on the FAFSA due to lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The poster is appropriate for posting across high school and college campuses, in HUD-funded and RHYA-funded shelters, and in other community locations where unaccompanied homeless youth may congregate.
ACT Fee Waiver Eligibility Requirements and Procedures
This two-page brochure from ACT describes the procedures that economically disadvantaged high school juniors or seniors should follow to receive a fee waiver for taking the ACT college entrance exam.
Application and Verification Guide 2013-2014
This guide from the U.S. Department of Education is intended for financial aid administrators and counselors who help students begin the student aid process: filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), verifying information, and making corrections and other changes to the information reported on the FAFSA. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-84) states that unaccompanied homeless youth are to be considered independent students when applying for federal financial aid for higher education. See pages AVG-23, AVG-105, and AVG-106 for specific references to unaccompanied homeless youth.
College Board: Information on Access to Higher Education for Undocumented Students
The College Board, a national organization focused on college readiness and access, provides practical and informative resources focused on access to higher education for undocumented students.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Website
The FAFSA is the form required by the federal government for application to any federal education aid program. The FAFSA is used to determine the expected family contribution based on family financial information. A FAFSA is used to determine the specific Federal Student Aid programs that can contribute to a student's total financial aid package and in what proportions.
Call 1-800-4-FED-AID or 1-800-394-7084 to request that a hard copy of the FAFSA be mailed to you.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
This federal discretionary grant program is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP provides six-year grants to states and partnerships to provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. GEAR UP grantees serve an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow the cohort through high school. GEAR UP funds are also used to provide college scholarships to low-income students.
LeTendre Education Fund
The LeTendre Education Fund provides higher education scholarships for graduating homeless or formerly homeless students. This webpage provides more information about the scholarship and access to the scholarship application.
Postsecondary Education Resources for Youth in and Transitioning out of the Child Welfare System
This information brief from the Legal Center on Foster Care and Education explains barriers that youth in and transitioning out of the foster care system may face in accessing higher education and provides information on supports and opportunities available to assist these youth in meeting their higher education goals.
SAT Program Fee-Waiver Service
This webpage from the College Board explains how a high school junior or senior can receive a fee-waiver in order to take the SAT college entrance exam or SAT subject tests, if paying the fee would pose a barrier to the student's college entrance. It also discusses how a college-bound student can receive waivers for college application fees.
TRIO (Federal TRIO Programs)
The Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.
*Clicking on an external link will take you to a non-NCHE webpage or document. The external agency's privacy policy may differ from that of NCHE.
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The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) is associated with The SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This website was produced with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, on contract no. ED-01-CO-0092/0001.