McKinney-Vento Homeless Education

Interactive Homeless Education Data Maps

This dashboard provides interactive data for homeless education for years 2015-2016 through 2019-2020.

You can explore data by county, including graduation and completion rates, and liaison contact information is included.

View the Homeless Education Data Dashboard

Quick Links:

About Homeless Education
COVID & Homeless Education
Who Qualifies for McKinney-Vento?
Educational Rights of McKinney-Vento Students
McKinney-Vento Liaisons
FAQ on Rights of Homeless Children & Youth

Homeless Children and Youth II (ARP-HCY II) Formula Grant

About the Grant

American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief

The U.S. Department of Education under section 2001(b)(1) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is providing additional funding to help support school districts in serving students experiencing homelessness. The purposes of this funding include increasing the identification of homeless children and youth, providing wraparound services considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing assistance needed to enable homeless children and youth to attend school and participate fully in school activities.

Learn More and Apply

Homeless Children & Youth
Grant Information

Homeless Children & Youth
Grant Application

Homeless Education FAQ for COVID-19 Response

As school districts prepare for reopening and recovery, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education FAQ offers information and considerations for serving students experiencing homelessness.

COVID-19 McKinney-Vento Homeless Education FAQ

About Homeless Education

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is the primary piece of legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
Specific provisions ensure the enrollment, accessibility, and educational stability for students lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

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.

image of MKV students studying and playing

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 Program Overview (PDF) for additional information about Colorado’s McKinney-Vento Program.

You can also refer to the US Department of Education's Education for Homeless Children and Youth site for more information and use the ED Data Express website to browse education data by state.

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.

More Resources available under Resources and Training Materials