Homeless Higher Education

McKinney-Vento Eligibility & Access to Higher Education

Currently a high school student experiencing housing instability?

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is federal law supporting the education of students experiencing homelessness.  The definition of homelessness under the law is broader than one might think, and includes any individual lacking a fixed, regular and adequate primary nighttime residence. 

For many Colorado students and families homelessness under this definition might look like:

• Sharing the housing of others due to economic hardship or natural disaster
• Couch surfing from a friend’s house to a relative’s house without a reliable, stable or even safe place to sleep every night
• Living in a car or a campground
• Staying in a hotel/motel due to lack housing 

If you have questions about your housing situation and whether you would qualify for McKinney-Vento rights under the law, connect with your school district’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Liaison. List of McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaisons.

Opportunities in Higher Education: Colorado Students Experiencing Homelessness 

If you have been identified by your school district’s McKinney-Vento Liaison as experiencing homelessness at any point during highschool, you may be eligible for the EmpowerEd Program.  

EmpowerEd (HB24-1403) is a state-funded program, administered by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to provide higher education funding and support to individuals who experienced homelessness and were identified as being McKinney-Vento eligible by a designated school personnel while enrolled in a Colorado high school.  

Please reference the EmpowerEd webpage for additional details on the eligibility criteria and the application process.  

As a McKinney-Vento District Liaison you may be asked to provide proof of eligibility for students who qualified for McKinney-Vento services after October 2023.  Please use the following form in those instances.