ERIC Number: ED522282
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Youth: Information for Colleges and Universities. Best Practices in Homeless Education
National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE
Each year, more than a million young people in the United States experience homelessness; some of these young people, known as unaccompanied homeless youth, will face the challenges of homelessness while living on their own without the support of a caring adult. Unaccompanied homeless youth face the same struggles as other young people: trying to do well in school, "fit in", and figure out what their future will look like. Without adult guidance and support, however, they will face these struggles while also working to provide for their own livelihood. Many of these youth hope to attend college, but wonder how they will pay tuition without help from their parents, who will sign important paperwork on their behalf, how they will juggle long work hours and schoolwork, and where they will stay when the dormitories close during holiday and summer breaks. Fortunately, federal laws provide additional support for this vulnerable population. To increase the awareness of post-secondary educators and education administrators of the issue of unaccompanied homeless youth, this brief provides: (1) A better understanding of unaccompanied homeless youth and the educational and other challenges they face; (2) A summary of federal education legislation, including the McKinney-Vento Act and the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, that gives unaccompanied homeless youth access to important educational supports; (3) Samples of promising practices implemented by high schools, colleges, and universities to assist unaccompanied homeless youth in succeeding in college; and (4) Additional resources for more information. (Contains 3 footnotes and 3 resources.)
Descriptors: Homeless People, Disadvantaged Youth, Access to Education, Higher Education, Barriers, Federal Legislation, Student Financial Aid, Self Supporting Students, Best Practices
National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE. P.O. Box 5367, 915 Northridge Street 2nd Floor, Greensboro, NC 27435. Tel: 800-755-3277; Fax: 336-315-7457; e-mail: homeless@serve.org; Web site: http://www.serve.org/nche
Publication Type: Guides - Non-Classroom; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (ED), Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs
Authoring Institution: National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE
Identifiers - Location: United States
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act 1987
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A