Post on 25-Feb-2016
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CREATING PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION INTO POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
2013 NAEHCY Preconference
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Section I:
Choosing a College
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CHOOSING A SCHOOL Students have many options to advance education beyond high school Two-year community and junior
colleges Four-year colleges and universities Technical, Vocational, or Trade School
http://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools
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COLLEGE SEARCH TOOL http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator general school information; tuition, fees, and estimated student expenses; types of financial aid provided; net price; enrollment; admissions requirements; retention and graduation rates; accreditation; campus security statistics; and default rates for students with student loans
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ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS Admission’s Advisor
Know the admissions requirements (GPA, GED, ACT, SAT) Get SAT/ACT Waiver
http://www.actstudent.org/faq/feewaiver.html http://
professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/waivers/guidelines/sat Adhere to application deadlines for desired semester Submit application fee Get Application fee waiver
http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/Pages/default.aspx
Submit additional documentation (Essay, or transcript)
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ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS Admissions
Missed application deadlines Apply at on-site admissions days Apply for next semester
Student did not meet admissions requirements Bridge program TRIO program
http://www.coenet.us/coe_prod_imis/COE/Home/COE/Home.aspx?hkey=040cec49-d947-4110-b9fa-1f30bef9c919
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FINANCIAL AID Financial Aid
Complete FAFSA as early as possible Available
January 1 each year for next academic year http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Deadlines State priority deadline College priority deadline
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FINANCIAL AID Documentation
Homeless Student Status Submit determination of UHY status from
verifier to Financial Aid Office Verification
Separate process than verifying homeless status
Student will need to submit requested tax/income information in a timely manner
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CHOOSING A MAJOR & UNDERSTANDING EXPECTATIONS
CHOOSING A MAJOR Before choosing a major students should
figure out what jobs or careers they are passionate about Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ Students should consider jobs earning
potential Determine what schools offer that major
Where is the school located? Consider the cost for the degree
TAKE A CAREER ASSESSMENT To decide if a careers matches a
students skills and interests they can take a career assessment Free assessments can be found at
CareerShip http://mappingyourfuture.org/planyourcareer/careership
Skills Profiler http://www.careerinfonet.org/skills/default.aspx?nodeid=20
O*NET http://www.onetonline.org/
CHOOSING CLASSES Schedule an appointment with an
Academic Advisor Get overview of degree requirements Map out course schedule for the year Create a Plan of Work to outline degree
completion (Refer to catalog or bulletin)
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE FEES There are many fee’s associated with attending college
(tuition, student activity, medical insurance, housing, books, meal plans, miscellaneous, )
Students should review bill to go over all fee’s Ask for assistance from Cashiers, or Student Accounts
Office If a student is being charged for a student activity fee
encourage them to use the service (recreation, university transportation)
Seek alternative options for books (online versus bookstore) Book Vouchers from Financial Aid
UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE FEES It is vital that homeless students determine
the best housing/meal plan for them (on/off campus)
If a homeless student is residing on campus communicate with Housing Office for year long housing availability
If not see if host families are in the area http://www.couchsurfing.org/
Student can consider becoming a Residential Advisor and housing at a reduced fee
HEALTH INSURANCE Homeless students should see if they are
eligible for any free state health insurance http://finder.healthcare.gov/
Determine if health insurance or immunizations are required for program http://
www2a.cdc.gov/nip/schoolsurv/schImmRqmtReport.asp
Consider the benefit of student fee (health insurance versus being uninsured)
STUDENT SERVICES Student Services offices can include:
Student Life/Student Center, Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, Academic Advising, Tutoring, Career Services/Counseling, Testing Center, Ombudsman Office
Student should know where each office is located and what services they provide
Remind student they are paying for these services so take advantage of them
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BEST PRACTICES IN HIGH SCHOOL Focus on FASFSA completion!× FAFSA Week – see www.naehcy.org × Inform unaccompanied youth of college options as soon as
they are identified as homeless× Make sure high school counselors know about the FAFSA
policies for UHY× Arrange for students to visit local colleges and universities× Use a template for verification – www.naehcy.org × Connect UHY to Gear-Up, Upward Bound, other TRIO programs
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BEST PRACTICES ON CAMPUS Campus advisors can work together to create
campus networks to focus on meeting needs of homeless youth
Communicate with local homeless liaisons to streamline the transition process
Get involved with local state network for homeless youth that are accessing higher education
Create a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) on Campus
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Section II:
Paying for College
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WHAT IS FINANCIAL AID?Any source of funds other than from the family used to pay college expenses
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SOURCES OF FINANCIAL AID Federal government
States
Colleges
Private sources
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COSTS THAT CAN BE PAID WITH FINANCIAL AID
Direct costs
Indirect costs
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FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)
Standard federal form
Must be completed every year
Asks for demographic and financial information
Some students must provide parental information
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DEPENDENCY STATUS Dependent students must provide
parental data on FAFSA Expectation of parental support
Independent students do not provide parental data on FAFSA No expectation of parental support
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WHO CAN MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT A STUDENT IS AN UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH? School district liaisons Director or designee of a HUD-funded
emergency shelter or transitional housing program
Director or designee of a runaway or homeless youth basic shelter or transitional living program
Financial aid administrator
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GUIDANCE Determinations are not the use of
professional judgment or a dependency override
Use McKinney-Vento Act definitions
Use of a documented interview
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GUIDANCE Reach out to homeless education
professionals
Use of discretion
Students may appeal financial aid administrator’s determination to Department of Education
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TOOLS FOR FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATORS
Determination of independent status template
Making determinations tool
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GROUP ACTIVITY: SCENARIOS
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OTHER FORMS AND APPLICATIONS CSS Profile
Institutional applications
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AWARDING PROCESS
Cost of Attendance (COA)─ Expected Family Contribution (EFC)____________________________________
Financial Need
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AWARDING PROCESS
Financial aid packages consist of a mix of: Grants/scholarships Work Loans
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AWARDING PROCESSPackaging philosophy varies from college to college so a student’s financial aid offer will also vary from college to college
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UNDERSTANDING BUDGETS College use the same standard cost
components
Value of components will vary based on college type, location, and other factors
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UNDERSTANDING AWARD LETTERS EFC will be the same regardless of
college
Mix of aid will vary by college
Look at out of pocket costs
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GROUP ACTIVITY: COMPARING BUDGETS AND AWARD LETTERS
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SCHOLARSHIPS
Common sources Civic organizations Houses of worship Nonprofit organizations and foundations
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SEARCHING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS Fastweb!: http://www.fastweb.com/ College Board:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.careerinfonet.org/scholarshipsearch/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=category&nodeid=22
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IMPACT OF OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS Could reduce existing aid package from
college
Changes depend on school policies and procedures
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RESOURCES: STATE PROGRAMS Some states have special provisions available for
low-income and/or homeless students: Indiana – Students receiving free lunch receive a tuition
waiver when participating in Indiana’s Double Up Program (dual enrollment in college courses for students in 11th and 12th grade)http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title21/ar14/ch8.html
Indiana – Twenty-First Century Scholars Program - Income-eligible 7th and 8th graders who enroll in the program and fulfill a pledge of good citizenship are guaranteed to receive up to four years of undergraduate tuition at any participating public college or university in Indianahttp://www.scholars.in.gov
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RESOURCES: STATE PROGRAMS Florida – Homeless students are exempt
from the payment of tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that provides postsecondary career programs, community college, or state university (2011 F.S. 1009.25); Florida statute establishes the definition of “homeless” usedhttp://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=1000-1099/1009/Sections/1009.25.html
Look for resources in your state! Slide 41
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RESOURCES: SCHOLARSHIPS Check with the high school’s guidance
counselor for a list of private scholarships available to area students
The LeTendre Education Fund Scholarship: www.naehcy.org/letendre_ab.html (application period closed until 2013)
Give Us Your Poor/Horatio Alger Scholarship: https://www.horatioalger.org/scholarships/ Slide
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UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS Not eligible to receive federal student
aid May be eligible for state and/or
institutional aid Depending on state, may qualify for in-
state tuition General requirements
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PANEL DISCUSSION
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CONTACT US…. Cyekeia Lee, clee@naehcy.org
Jennifer Martin, martinj@nasfaa.org