Homeless or at Risk of Homelessness

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A student is independent if, at any time on or after July 1, 2023, the student is determined to be an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or is self-supporting and at risk of being homeless. You indicated this on your FAFSA application. We must determine your independence due to risk of homelessness.

Unaccompanied Homelessness Youth determination is based off submission of documentation from:

• A local educational agency homeless liaison (or designee), as designated by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)).
• The director (or designee) of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or other program serving individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
• The director (or designee) of a Federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate program (GEAR UP) grant.
• A financial aid administrator at another institution who documented the student’s circumstance in the same or a prior award year.

What you should do:

• If you are able to get written evidence of your situation from people like school counselors, social workers, service providers, or clergy. If you do not have current documentation, then a financial aid administrator will be contacting you to schedule an interview.
• If you are not able to obtain written evidence of your homeless status, your financial aid administrator may make a determination about your status based on a documented interview with you.

Submit Documentation to UTSA:

1. Print and complete the Confirmation of Unusual or Other Circumstances Form via the Financial Aid Document Uploader.
2. Attach all required documentation as indicated on the form according to the item selected.

 

For data security purposes, documents submitted by email or fax cannot be accepted.

If you have questions, please visit our Financial Aid Document Uploader FAQ or contact One Stop at 210-458-8000 or email onestop@utsa.edu.