Q: Can I receive federal student aid if I am homeless or at risk of becoming homeless?

A: Yes. When you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, you will be asked whether you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and “unaccompanied” (meaning not with your parents). Answer the question and continue with the application. Students who are identified as Unaccompanied Youth under the McKinny Vento Act are considered “independent” on the FAFSA. 

 Q: Do I need to provide my parents’ income information on the FAFSA® form?

A: No. If you answer “yes” to the homelessness question on the FAFSA form, you can submit it without providing information about your parents because you are stating that you are not with your parents.

Q: Do I need to provide a home address on the FAFSA® form?

A: No, but you must provide a mailing address where you can reliably receive mail. Your mailing address can be the address of a relative or friend who has given you permission to use it, or it can be your college’s address. If you want to use your college’s address, you must contact the school for permission and instructions to ensure that your mail reaches you. If you find more permanent housing, you should update your address on the FAFSA form.

Q: Will I be required to submit documentation to prove that I am “unaccompanied” and homeless or at risk of becoming homeless?

A: Maybe. Once you answer “yes” to the general homelessness question on the FAFSA® form, you will be asked whether you have received a homeless youth determination. If you indicate that you have, the financial aid administrator at the college you plan to attend may request the determination to prove that you are “unaccompanied” and homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

You should contact one of the following individuals to ask if they can provide you with a homeless youth determination:

• Your high school or school district homeless liaison

• The director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• ​The director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program

In some cases, the individual listed above may only be allowed to make a homeless youth determination if you are receiving his or her program’s support or if, in the case of a school district homeless liaison, you are in his or her high school or high school district.

Q: What happens if I can’t obtain a homeless youth determination?

A: If you answer “yes” to the general homelessness question on the FAFSA® form but have not received a homeless youth determination from one of the individuals above, you can still submit the FAFSA form. Once you submit the FAFSA form, you must request a homeless youth determination from the financial aid administrator at the college you plan to attend. While it is not required, to help the financial aid administrator make a homeless youth determination, you may want to submit documentation from any of the following:

• Local school district personnel

• State homeless education coordinators

• The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)

• Third parties such as private or publicly funded homeless shelters and service providers

• Financial aid administrators from colleges other than the school to which you’re presenting the documentation

• Staff from college access programs such as TRIO (e.g., Talent Search or Upward Bound) or GEAR UP

• College or high school counselors

• Mental health professionals, social workers, mentors, doctors, or clergy

If you don’t have any written documentation of your homelessness status, the financial aid office must still review your request for a homeless youth determination and make a determination as to whether you qualify as a homeless youth. The financial aid office’s determination may be based on other information available to them through resources like your state or local government, community organizations, or services provided by the college.

Q: Where can I find additional resources for homeless youth?

A: The U.S. Department of Education recently released a toolkit and guide for youth in the child welfare system who are transitioning to adulthood. Although this toolkit focuses on youth leaving the foster care system, it also provides useful information for youth who are homeless and have never been in the child welfare system. The toolkit includes information on the different types of housing options that may be available in your community.

​You can access the toolkit here.