What If I Am Homeless and Attend, or Want to Attend College?
Homeless students going to college in California (UC System, Cal State, or a California Community College) have several programs and resources available to help them succeed, including but not limited to:
- High School Equivalency Exam (GED) Fee Waiver: A homeless student who wants to take the exam can have their fee waived (at California Community Colleges only.)
- Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act (AB801) provides priority registration and designated student liaisons to help with financial aid, Community College Student Financial Aid Outreach Program, and Student Opportunity and Access Program, as well as a fee waiver for enrollment/units (at California Community Colleges only.)
- College Cost Reduction and Access Act (H.R. 2669) allows a youth who is 23 or younger to be considered financially independent on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if the student was or is an orphan, an emancipated minor, in foster care, in legal guardianship, a ward of the court, or verified as an unaccompanied youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This enables students to submit the FAFSA without their parents’ financial information and potentially qualify for additional need-based aid. Verification that an unaccompanied youth is experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness can be provided by a school district homeless liaison or by certain homeless service providers. If a student cannot obtain verification from those parties, the student should go to their college’s financial aid administrator who is required by law to make this determination for the student.
- College Student Hunger Relief Act (AB1747) – Campuses should have on-campus CalFresh information and enrollment – on-campus restaurants that will soon begin to accept CalFresh benefits for senior, homeless, or students with disabilities; and on-campus food pantry/kitchens Student Affairs Case Management: Sacramento State University offers case management for its students facing housing displacement, hunger, financial emergencies and other issues. Call
(916) 278-6060 - There are homeless liaisons at all California Community Colleges. You can find a list at this website:
https://www.cccstudentmentalhealth.org/resource/homeless-youth-liaisons-directory/ - Housing: A new law requires Cal State Universities, (and requests that Community Colleges and UC system schools) to give former foster youth and current or former homeless youth priority access to student housing, especially student housing that is available year-round (at no additional cost). The law also requests that each campus create a housing plan for these student groups to ensure they can access housing all year, even during academic breaks.
- Shower Access: Community colleges provide homeless students daily access to shower facilities as long as they are enrolled, have paid enrollment fees (or had them waived), and are in good standing (GPA of 2.0 or higher) Internships/Student Assistant Positions: State agencies must give hiring preference to homeless students and formerly incarcerated youth (up to age 26) for internships and student assistant positions. To receive this benefit you have to tell them you are homeless.
For more information: link to Emergency Housing, Food and Financial Resources for Undergraduates at CA Public Colleges and Universities: https://www.library.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/StudentResourceList2020.pdf
Subscribe to newsletter of the CA Homeless Youth Project: https://www.library.ca.gov/crb/homeless-youth/
Homeless and attend college:
| Homeless Youth Liaisons Directory Survey participants gave the names and contact information of their campus Homeless Youth Liaison(s), whose role is to help students experiencing homelessness access financial aid and other resources.www.cccstudentmentalhealth.org |