“This is How I’m Going to Make a Life for Myself:” - An Analysis of FAFSA Data and Barriers to Financial Aid for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth - February 21, 2017

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

Examines newly available U.S. Department of Education data on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to identify challenges unaccompanied homeless youth face when accessing federal financial aid. Connects these obstacles to Higher Education Act “dependent student” verification rules and assesses state implementation progress under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Concludes with policy and practice recommendations, while outlining limitations of FAFSA data for representing the full homeless student population.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Federal eligibility rules and the dependent vs. independent barrier

Documented barriers from GAO (May 2016)

Limitations of the Data

Who is and is not captured in FAFSA reporting

What cannot be inferred nationally

Continuing Barriers Indicated by the Data

Areas of concern identified in the analysis

“This is How I’m Going to Make a Life for Myself:” An Analysis of FAFSA Data and Barriers to Financial Aid for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth February 21, 2017 Over 95 percent of the jobs created since 2010 have gone to college-educated workers, and by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require education beyond high school.1 Thus, for youth experiencing homelessness, post-secondary education is critical for improving life outcomes, including reducing the risk of continued homelessness as adults. As indicated by the title of this report – a quote from a young adult who experienced homelessness in high school and in college – many young people are keenly aware of the role of higher education in improving their lives. Yet without financial aid, these young people cannot access post-secondary education. This report analyzes newly available data from the U.S. Department of Education that provide important insights into the challenges that unaccompanied homeless youth face in accessing federal financial aid. The data also provide baseline information to assess states’ progress in implementing important new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that were enacted to help students experiencing homelessness transition from high school to postsecondary education. We conclude our analysis with recommendations for policy and practice, including the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. BACKGROUND Under the Higher Education Act, youth who are under age 24 generally are considered“dependent students,” meaning they must supply parental income information and a parental signature in order to be considered for federal financial aid. This policy created a barrier for youth who are homeless and on their own (unaccompanied homeless youth), who live in extreme poverty and are not being supported by their parents. To address this barrier, the Higher Education Act specifies that unaccompanied homeless youth are considered“independent students” if they are verified as such by certain federal program staff, including school district homeless liaisons; directors or designees of Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 1 Carnevale, Anthony, Smith, Nicole, and Strohl, Jeff (2014) . Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Available at: [https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Recovery2020.ES_.Web_.pdf](https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Recovery2020.ES_.Web_.pdf). (RHYA) programs; directors or designees of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Homeless Assistance programs; or financial aid directors. While this policy has led to important improvements in access to financial aid for homeless youth, many barriers remain. A report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in May 2016 found that: • Burdensome program rules can hinder the ability of homeless youth to access federal supports. • Extensive documentation requests can impede access to aid for homeless youth. • Annual re-verification of homelessness poses barriers for unaccompanied homeless youth. The GAO report is not the only study to document such barriers.2 U.S. Department of Education data from the 2015-2016 Application Cycle of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) provide information that can help us assess the implementation of protections for students experiencing homelessness, and that raise concerns about the scale and nature of the barriers. The data also permit a state-by-state analysis of implementation of post-secondary transition requirements in ESSA. LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA It is important to note that the data collected on unaccompanied homeless youth on the FAFSA are not representative of the entire population of FAFSA applicants experiencing homelessness. The FAFSA does not collect information on the number of homeless students attending post-secondary institutions. It also collects no inf

FAQs

Why is post-secondary education especially important for youth experiencing homelessness?

Post-secondary education improves life outcomes and can reduce the risk of continued homelessness in adulthood.

What rule under the Higher Education Act creates a barrier for unaccompanied homeless youth?

Youth under age 24 are generally treated as dependent students, requiring parental income information and a parental signature, which unaccompanied homeless youth cannot provide.

What are key limitations of using FAFSA data for this analysis?

FAFSA does not capture the overall number of homeless students at post-secondary institutions and only reflects youth who self-identify as unaccompanied homeless when completing the application, excluding other relevant categories.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah