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Homelessness

McKinney-Vento Notice

If your family has been displaced from your permanent residence, your school aged children may qualify for protective educational rights under this law. For McKinney Vento Act assistance, eligibility is determined by where one sleeps at night. You may be eligible if you are living:

  • In a shelter or transitional housing
  • In a hotel, motel, or campground due to lack of alternative accommodations
  • In a car, park, abandoned building, bus/train station, or substandard housing
  • With others due to loss of housing or financial hardship

Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MKV), children and youth who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian and are lacking a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence are considered displaced and eligible for rights under the homeless education law. 

Unaccompanied youth have the same rights as other homeless students including:

  • Enroll immediately and participate in the full school program as an independent student
  • Receive credit accrual to remain on track with their education  
  • Receive assistance to prepare for and improve their readiness for college 

Receive verification from the district homeless liaison of their unaccompanied youth status for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application.

If you are have been displaced from permanent housing, please contact Melissa Evans, Homeless Liaison at 717-664-8535. The Homeless Liaison is available to support families and students who have been displaced from their permanent housing with resources, referrals, and support(s).

For more information regarding homelessness, please visit Pennsylvania's Department of Education website.