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the good graces of friends or relatives

who will allow the youth to stay with them

Profile of an

for a short period of time only. When

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth

living doubled-up is no longer an option,

these youth frequently find themselves

Carl’s situation is typical of many

in unsafe and inadequate housing

unaccompanied homeless youth. His father

arrangements.

died when he was a baby. Due to abuse

Lack of connection with adults or

•

by his mother’s boyfriend, Carl left home

agencies that could help

during his senior year in high school and

After leaving home, unaccompanied

stayed with a variety of family members and

youth often fear being forced to return

friends, most of whom lived outside of his

home or placed in foster care. As young

school district. Fearing he would be kicked

adults, they remain reluctant to seek help

out of school while doubling up outside his

school’s residential zone, Carl hid his living

or are unaware of available assistance.

situation from school officials.

Unaccompanied homeless youth also face the

After graduating high school, Carl decided

following barriers specific to continuing their

to work for a year to save money for college.

education:

Although his living situation was still

unstable, he at least felt like he had enough

Struggling to balance school and other

•

money to look into enrolling in college. While

responsibilities

filling out his FAFSA, Carl noticed multiple

Many unaccompanied youth fall behind

places in the application requesting parent

in school because they are attempting

signatures or information about parental

to balance school with the demands of

income and financial contribution. He

working to provide for their basic needs.

was relieved to notice that the application

Due to high residential mobility or heavy

mentions the term “Independent Student”,

work demands, many unaccompanied

and it appears that he meets the necessary

youth end up missing school and losing

criteria, but he doesn’t know who can

credits. The time these youth must

determine his independent student status for

dedicate to maintaining employment

purposes of the FAFSA.

often comes at the expense of time

needed to focus on their education.

When he mentioned the issue to the financial

aid staff at the local community college,

Lack of adult guidance and support

•

they seemed hesitant to qualify him as

Unaccompanied youth often lack

an independent student and told him he

connections with adults who can guide

must submit his mother’s financial records

them in the process of preparing for

to receive financial aid. He has had only

and gaining admission into college.

sporadic contact with his mother since

Most lack the presence of a supportive

leaving home nearly two years ago; and, any

adult to encourage them to have high

attempts at communication have been met

educational expectations. Many don’t

with indifference or hostility. Carl is about to

know where to apply for college, how

give up on his dream of attending college.

to prepare and take the SAT or ACT, or

how to complete the Free Application

for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Shelters

and other service providers for youth

Lack of access to parental financial

•

generally lack information on college

information and support

access. If youth are reluctant to seek

Unaccompanied youth often have

help at school, school counselors or

become estranged from their parents,

local homeless education liaisons (see

which leads to difficulty with filling out

sidebar on page 5) may not be aware of

the FAFSA. In most cases, completing

their situations and, therefore, unable to

the FAFSA requires youth to provide

provide needed support.

National Center for Homeless Education □

Increasing Access To Higher Education For Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Information - National Center For Homeless Education Page 3

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