Higher Education

This resource from SchoolHouse Connection provides information for higher education liaisons to support postsecondary students who are experiencing homelessness. It defines homelessness and provides signs to look for to help identify students who may need support. This tip sheet outlines strategies for liaisons to connect students to on-campus and off-campus resources and remove barriers to their college retention and success.

This journal article looks at the rate in which foster care alumni (FCA) use tuition and fee waivers, scholarships, or collaborative supports to enroll in post-secondary education. The researchers used a sample of more than 9,000 FCA from the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) to examine the effectiveness of these programs. The results show that these initiatives can increase enrollment; however, the effectiveness varies significantly by state. Overall, the study demonstrates the limitation of legislated waivers and collaboratives to ensure a large percentage of youth will access and use these programs to enroll and persist in higher education.

This brief from SchoolHouse Connection outlines ways in which youth-service providers and educators can help youth experiencing homelessness and former foster care youth with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. They should inform youth about the FAFSA, help them complete the form, and help remove any documentation barrier. This brief has resources for those who are seeking additional information about the FAFSA.

This is the third report in a series from the Wisconsin Hope Lab that examines food and housing insecurity among undergraduates in the US. The first two reports focused on community college students, while this report presents findings from a survey of students attending four-year institutions. The researchers found 36 percent of university students reported being food insecure in the 30 days preceding the survey compared with 42 percent of community college students. Similarly, 36 percent of university students reported being housing insecure in the last year compared with 51 percent of community college students. Homelessness was 9 percent versus 12 percent, respectively. The researchers contend these findings indicate unmet basic needs disproportionately affect more marginalized students who often work long hours in addition to their academic workloads. (author abstract modified)

This guide provides information about existing state laws that help college students who are experiencing homelessness. Both California and Louisiana require the designation of single points of contact in public colleges and universities. These two states also mandate housing priority be granted to current and former foster care and homeless students. In addition, California law requires priority enrollment for these students. California, Florida, and Maryland offer different tuition and fee waivers to attend college. Colorado and Louisiana have laws related to in-state tuition. As of February 2017, Texas was developing legislation to support students dealing with homelessness. 

This journal article provides school and career counselors and other educators with background information about students experiencing homelessness (SEH) and research related to college planning for the SEH population. This article uses a Social Cognitive Career Theory framework: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goal setting, and contextual supports and barriers. The article discusses how homelessness can present barriers to secondary students related to college self-efficacy, outcome expectations of attending and succeeding in college, and goal setting towards college. The article summaries the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and college and career planning for SEH. The authors provide an overview of suggested actions to prepare this student population for college.

In this chapter, the author highlights common themes found in the extant literature that can inform ways to address the unique challenges of foster youth students in community college. These themes include educational attainment of foster youth as a social justice issue, effective practices that support student success, and recommendations for policy and practice. Coupled with recommendations from the literature, the author offers the perspectives of students about practices at community college campuses. The chapter highlights model programs that are uniquely positioned to serve this marginalized group of students on college campuses using an academic capital framework. (author abstract modified)

This is the ninth in a series of Research-to-Impact briefs by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to understand and address youth homelessness. This brief focuses on the educational disruption often experienced by youth who are dealing with homelessness. It outlines key research findings that show how homelessness and housing instability interfere with young people’s abilities and opportunities to stay in school and pursue their educational goals. The brief includes recommendations for primary and secondary school administrators, administrators at institutions of higher education, and representatives of homelessness systems.

This report from Chapin Hall presents a study using data from a large sample of youth from California child welfare records to estimate the impact of extended foster care on postsecondary education outcomes. The sample includes youth who were in the child welfare system before and after the state of California extended foster care to age 21. The study looks at three outcomes: enrollment by age 21, persistence by age 21, and the number of semesters completed by age 21. The researchers found that extended foster care increases the likelihood that youth under supervised care will enroll in postsecondary education before turning 21 but does not increase the rates of persistence or the number of semesters completed among this youth population. (author abstract modified)

In this chapter, the author examines what is known about the disparity in postsecondary educational attainment between youth in foster care and their non-foster care peers, the reasons for it, and existing federal, state, and institutional policies and programs that address this disparity. The author also discusses the unique role that community colleges can play in reducing this disparity and presents findings and recommendations from research on this topic. The chapter includes information about statewide initiatives in California and Virginia developed to address the specific needs of this student population.