Does a Determination Of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Status Have To Be Made Every Year?

No. Effective with the 2023-24 award year, any student determined to be independent due to homelessness for a preceding award year shall be presumed to be independent for each subsequent award year at the same institution, unless the student indicates a change in circumstances or unless conflicting information exists in the student's file. Reference Section 479A(c)(2)(D)(iv) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, [20 USC 1087TT].

Note that in GEN-22-15, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), states in the question ISS-Q2:

"Can schools ask students if their unusual circumstances or homeless situation has changed each year?

Yes. However, institutions must not maintain a practice that delays or hinders the awarding and/or disbursement of federal student aid for such students and may not require them to submit additional documentation unless there is conflicting information that the institution needs to resolve. Section 479D(d) of the HEA, as amended by the Act, will remove barriers for this vulnerable student population."

See AskRegs Knowldegebase Q&A, Who Can Make a Determination That a Student Is an Unaccompanied Homeless Youth? 

Prior to the 2023-24 award year, the unaccompanied homeless youth determination had to be made every year. The school did not need to verify the student's "yes" answers to the homelessness questions on the FAFSA, but a determination needed to be made every year by one of the designated authorities or the financial aid administrator.

Tools: Refer to the following tools to assist with this student population:

• Tip Sheet for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY)
• Homelessness--Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determinations: 2023-24 Template
• Homelessness--Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determinations: 2024-25 Template

P&P Builder: NASFAA’s Policies & Procedures (P&P) Builder guides you step-by-step through the creation of a centralized, accessible policies and procedures manual. This is included in the cost of NASFAA Value Plus membership. There is an additional cost for other membership levels.