McKinney-Vento Homeless Education

Who qualifies for McKinney-Vento?

• Any displaced child or youth experiencing the following has educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Act: 
  • is living in a shelter, motel, inadequate trailer, or house;
  • is staying temporarily with relatives or friends due to economic hardship or loss of housing; or
  • is living in any other homeless situation.

Educational Rights of McKinney-Vento Students

• Access to a McKinney-Vento Homeless Educational Liaison in their school district
• Identification through outreach and coordination activities
• Immediate enrollment with full and equal opportunity to succeed in school
• Choice between the neighborhood school or the school of origin (school last enrolled in or attended)
• Transportation to the school of origin (including preschool)
• Immediate access to free school meals and educational services for which they are eligible
• Automatic eligibility for Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
• Referrals to health care, dental, mental health and substance abuse, housing, and other appropriate services
• Unaccompanied youth are informed of their status as independent students on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Check out our Homeless Education Fact Sheet (PDF) for additional information about Colorado’s McKinney-Vento Program.

McKinney-Vento Liaisons

• Every school district has a designated McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Liaison responsible for identifying MKV students and providing resources to help these students.
• Refer to our list of liaisons to find the liaison in your district.

The Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations

This document, created collaboratively by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), and updated in October 2017, provides answers to many of the most frequently asked questions on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the educational rights of children and youth in homeless situations.

Download The Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations.

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