This bill expands federal financial aid and support services for homeless and foster youth pursuing higher education. It requires all colleges and universities to designate a liaison staff member to help these students access financial aid, housing, food, health care, and other support services, and to prioritize them for on-campus housing. The legislation allows homeless and foster youth to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and streamlines the financial aid process by establishing clearer definitions and documentation procedures for determining their independence status. It also requires TRIO programs—federal support initiatives that help disadvantaged students prepare for and succeed in college—to actively recruit and serve homeless and foster youth, and mandates that colleges report data on how many such students they're serving and what strategies work best. The bill takes effect after its enactment, with implementation expected to begin during the first full school year following passage, and directs the Department of Education to issue guidance to colleges within 120 days and conduct annual training for institutional liaisons.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.