Many unaccompanied homeless youth have higher education aspirations, but find the barriers to enrollment and attendance to be overwhelming. This NCHE brief provides a better understanding of unaccompanied homeless youth and the educational and other challenges they face, a summary of federal education legislation that gives unaccompanied homeless youth access to important educational supports, and samples of promising practices implemented by high schools, colleges, and universities to assist unaccompanied homeless youth in succeeding in college.

This June 2009 brief from Casey Family Programs addresses the following questions: (1) How are college key support services for foster youth structured?; (2) What resources are available to help foster youth to transition to life at the university (e.g., dedicated advisor, support group, etc.)?; and (3) How do other universities assist foster youth in facing specific challenges, including applying for admission and financial aid, buying textbooks and other peripherals, and finding a place to live during semester breaks? The brief provides eight key observations to answer these questions and to help school administrators provide better support for students emerging from foster care.

This report from Seattle Education Access (SEA) describes the basic values and strategies used by SEA to provide access to higher education for nontraditional students, including young people experiencing homelessness.

This Colorado tip sheet lists strategies for providing a welcome environment and an effective support response for unaccompanied homeless youth in institutions of higher education.

This Colorado tip sheet provides strategies for higher education personnel for determining independent student status on the FAFSA for unaccompanied homeless youth and for providing continued support for these students once their college enrollment has occured.

This brief from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) discusses the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-84) as it pertains to homeless unaccompanied youth. It also provides a list of resources to use in assisting homeless unaccompanied youth access various kinds of financial aid and provides sample letters that can be used to establish a homeless unaccompanied youth's status as an "independent student" for the purposes of applying for federal financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

This two-page brief from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) answers various questions about the relationship between the filing of tax returns and a youth's completion of the FAFSA. Questions answered include: How does a youth’s decision to file a tax return affect the FAFSA?; Are youth required to file tax returns?, and; What should an unaccompanied youth do if his/her parents claim him/her as a dependent on their tax returns?.

This December 2009 guide from Casey Family Programs provides information on helping youth from foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth to secure financial aid for postsecondary education or training programs. It describes how to respond to new FAFSA questions that will determine federal financial aid status for these students. The guide will be most useful for financial aid professionals, independent living coordinators, guidance counselors, financial aid counselors, social workers, and advocates helping youth to secure the maximum allowable financial aid.

Few students from foster care ever gain access to higher education programs, let alone graduate from college. Colleges and universities can help youth succeed. Colleges, policymakers, and advocates have begun to address this issue with calls for policy advances, practice innovations, and influential advocacy. This Casey Family Programs publication provides program development tools for college counselors, administrators, professors, and staff. It helps education professionals define a plan for improving their institution’s support for students from foster care.

This contact list includes a list of higher education and homeless education professionals working to increase access to higher education for students experiencing homelessness. These professionals have agreed to have their names listed on the NCHE website and may be contacted by others interested in learning about or joining their efforts.