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.

American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief - Homeless Children and Youth II (ARP-HCY II) Formula Grant

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.

Formula Allocation and Eligible Applicants

Given the substantial increase in funding for supports and services for homeless children and youth under the ARP Act, the need for rapid distribution to meet urgent student needs, and the importance of serving students experiencing homelessness in communities that have not historically participated in the EHCY subgrant program, the Department establishes a requirement in paragraph (c)(1) that the SEA distribute the ARP Homeless II funds to LEAs by formula rather than competition. Requiring SEAs to distribute the ARP Homeless II funds to LEAs by formula will ensure that the vast majority of LEAs will be able to receive subgrants.

The formula is based equally on the proportional share of an LEA's allocation under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) for the most recent fiscal year, and the LEA's proportional share of the number of homeless children and youth identified by each LEA relative to all LEAs in the State, using the greater of the number of homeless children and youth in either the 2018-19 or 2019-20 school year in each LEA. This formula ensures a balance in the distribution of funds to focus on the needs of the LEAs, considering both the LEA's number of low-income students and the number of homeless children and youth. In addition, allowing the use of either the 2018-19 school year or 2019-20 school year homeless counts takes into consideration the potential for undercounting in the 2019-20 school year due to COVID-19 by allowing LEAs to use the greater of the two numbers.

*Allocation amounts by LEA/BOCES can be found in Appendix A of the application.

OF NOTE: The U.S. Department of Education establishes in paragraph (c)(2) that an LEA must have an allocation of at least $5,000 under the formula to be eligible for an ARP Homeless II subgrant on its own. Per the U.S. Department of Education, this $5,000 minimum will enable each subgrantee to have sufficient ARP Homeless II funds to address the needs of homeless children and youth. The U.S. Department of Education chose $5,000 as the threshold for the smallest amount reasonable to sufficiently implement a local program.

If an LEA's allocation is less than $5,000, in order to receive an ARP Homeless II subgrant, the LEA must join a consortium of LEAs/BOCES in which the sum of its members' allocations meets the $5,000 threshold. For LEAs/BOCES with an allocation less than $5,000, the rule encourages the use of consortia to create favorable economies of scale.

Available Funds and Duration of Grant

$4,300,318 is available for this funding opportunity, with 100% of the funding coming from federal dollars.

Applications must be completed and submitted through the online application. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until Wednesday, December 1, 2021 by 11:59 p.m.

Note: the Approval and Transmittal Form and the Budget Workbook must also be uploaded to the online application at the time of submission.

Application (PDF) or (Word) - this is for informational purposes only. Applications must be submitted via the online application link above.

Approval and Transmittal Form (Word)

Budget Workbook (Excel)

Formula Amounts (Excel)

Technical Assistance Webinar

A recording of the technical assistance webinar will be available soon. This webinar will review the application process, allowable use of funds, and other questions pertaining to ARP-HCY II funding opportunity.

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.

image of MKV students studying and playing

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 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