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Addressing Basic Needs Through Policy Change:A Federal and State UpdateTHE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITYBASIC NEEDS INITIATIVE CONFERENCEFEBRUARY 8, 2018

Overview State Policy CalFresh CalWORKs 2018 Legislative Proposals Federal Policy Farm Bill and Marker Bill AB 1276 FY2018 and FY2019 Budget Higher Education Act reauthorization HUD Homeless Assistance Reform2

ABOUT YOUR PRESENTER: A FORMERLYHOMELESS & HUNGRY STUDENT#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center #RealCollege

COLLEGE STUDENT HUNGERCALIFORNIA LEGISLATION RESPONDSCalifornia’s Legislature Responding to College Student Hunger AB 1930 (Skinner, 2014) – CalFresh Student Rules Federal Rule Says Students ( 1/2 time) ineligible unless:(a) Federal Exemptions (b) State Established Programs AB 1930 establishes list of programs exempt & verification process AB 1747 (Weber, 2016) Increased Access to CalFresh, EBT & Meals Requires RMP Application for Colleges in Participating Counties Codifies practice of allowing public colleges & universities toparticipate in the State’s CalFresh Outreach Program Establishes (unfunded) fund for College Food Banks Partnerships#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center @FRACTweets

COLLEGE STUDENT HUNGERCALIFORNIA LEGISLATION RESPONDSCalifornia’s Legislature Responding to College Student Hunger AB 453 (Limon, 2017) – Hunger Free College Campus Funding Gives all three sectors 7.5 Million to colleges certified Hunger Free To be certified Hunger Free, a campus must have a campus foodpantry or regular food distribution on Campus and must makeinformation about SNAP application on Campus. UCs & CSUs mustalso offer meal plan donation option. AB 214 (Weber, 2017) Increased Access to CalFresh, EBT & Meals Clarified RMP Policies Defines “half-time.” Codified AB 1930 Workgroup policies#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center @FRACTweets

COLLEGE STUDENT HUNGERCALIFORNIA LEGISLATION RESPONDSCalifornia’s Legislature Responding to College Student Hunger AB 570 (Newman, 2017) – Veteran’s Education Benefits Ensures Military, Veteran and surviving family members fully benefitfrom the G.I. Bill and other US Veteran Administration educationpayments. It will achieve this by Exempting education benefits,stipends or allowances received from the US VeteransAdministration from being counted as income or assets for thepurposes of determining eligibility for CalWORKs.#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center @FRACTweets

COLLEGE STUDENT HUNGERWHAT’S NEXTCalifornia’s 2018 College Hunger Agenda Hunger Free College Campus Funding – Budget Request Additional money for colleges certified Hunger Free AB 1894 (Weber) CalFresh, EBT & Restaurant Meals Allows for all CSUs to participate AB XXXX (Arambula) CalFresh benefit increase Mystery Bill (Mystery Author) College Meal Plan2018 Federal College Hunger Agenda H.R. 1276 – Closing the Meal Gap#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center @FRACTweets

GET THE FACTS: FACTSHEETS ON ANTI-HUNGERLEGISLATION AVAILABLE ONLINEBe sure to visit the webinar page or WCLP’s resource page for advocates tofind factsheets on AB 1930 (Skinner) and AB 1747 unger-webinar-insightful-inspiring/#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center @FRACTweets

PARTNERSHIPS: TO IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS ANDGET THE JOB DONE#TalkPoverty @Jess Bartholow @Western Center @FRACTweets@HungerActionCA @CAFoodBanks #CALeg #RealCollege

About SchoolHouse ConnectionA national organization working toovercome homelessness througheducation.We provide strategic advocacy andtechnical assistance in partnershipwith early care and educationprofessionals, service providers,families, and youth.@SchoolHouseConn

Federal Budget: FY2018 and FY2019o Stalemate over budget caps, immigration, disasterreliefo 5th continuing resolution to keep government openlikely to extend until March 23o FY2019 budget process also starting; President’sproposal to be released on February 12o Unclear whether “entitlement reform” will moveforward as part of budget process@SchoolHouseConn11

Higher Education Act Reauthorizationo In December, House education committee passed“The Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, andProsperity through Education Reform” (PROSPER) Act(H.R. 4508) on a party-line voteo Senate committee has held four hearings; expectedto draft bi-partisan legislation this Springo Core issues: Simplifying FAFSA; simplifying thefederal loan program; “competency-basededucation;” accountability@SchoolHouseConn12

Higher Education “Marker” Billso The College Student Hunger Act, H.R. 3875. Wouldallow college students SNAP eligibility if they receivethe maximum Pell Grant award, are in foster care, arean Armed Forces veteran, or are classified as anunaccompanied youth who is homeless.o The Fostering Success in Higher Education Act, HR3742. New grant program for transitions,“institutions of excellence”o The Higher Education Access and Success Act forHomeless and Foster Youth, S. 1795, H.R. 3740@SchoolHouseConn13

Higher Education Access and Success for Homelessand Foster Youth - S.1795/H.R. 3740Sponsored by:oU.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. SenatorRob Portman (R-OH) in the U.S. SenateoU.S. Representatives Katherine Clark (D-5th/MA)and Don Young (R At Large/AK) in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives@SchoolHouseConn14

Removing Barriers to FinancialAid: Verification and EligibilityNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESAn unaccompanied homelessyouth’s status does not need to bere-determined each year.Youth spend a lot of time gettingyearly determinations when theirstatus has not changed.They are asked to get informationfrom previous years, which can bedifficult.Youth can be denied eligibility ifthey are not able to get theverification requested.@SchoolHouseConn15

Removing Barriers to FinancialAid: Verification and EligibilityNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESFinancial Aid Administrators (FAAs)must accept the determination ofhomelessness from an authorizedentity. A FAA’s disagreement witha determination is not consideredconflicting information.Deference was not always given tothe providers most familiar withthe youth.Guidance was not always followedon this issue.@SchoolHouseConn16

Removing Barriers to FinancialAid: Verification and EligibilityNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESAdds to the entities that can verifya youth’s status as homeless andunaccompanied, including TRIO,GEAR-UP and other homelessservice providers.Homeless youth receive servicesfrom an array of providers. Manyof the providers youth wereworking with were not on theauthorized list and theirverification of youth’s homelessstatus was not accepted.@SchoolHouseConn17

Removing Barriers to FinancialAid: Verification and EligibilityNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESFAAs must make a determinationof homeless status, based on thelegal definitions of homeless andunaccompanied, if the youthcannot get if from other entities.Determinations of homeless statuswere not being made for youthwho were not connected tohomeless service providers. FAAsfailure to make determinationsresulted in lack of access tofinancial aid. FAAs madedeterminations based on arestrictive definition ofhomelessness that is not in thehigher education law.@SchoolHouseConn18

Removing Barriers to FinancialAid: Resolving DisputesNEW PROVISIONSPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESThe Federal Student AidOmbudsman must resolvedisputes related to homelessyouth and youth coming fromfoster care, in consultation withknowledgeable parties, includingchild welfare agencies, localliaisons or State Coordinatorsestablished under the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act.Disputes were often handled byindividuals who did notunderstand youth homelessnessor foster care.@SchoolHouseConn19

Removing Barriers to Financial Aidand Providing Supports to StudentsNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESInstitutions of higher educationmust disseminate notice aboutfinancial aid policies for homelessand foster youth.Youth in foster care andexperiencing homelessness have asmaller network of people andsupports to learn about thisinformation and often areunaware of financial aid rules andoptions.@SchoolHouseConn20

Removing Barriers to Financial Aidand Providing Supports to StudentsNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESProvide youth the opportunity toidentify as homeless or fosteryouth voluntarily for the purposeof receiving assistance.There is little reliable data on thenumber of homeless and fosteryouth in higher education. Moreand better data will allow forbetter identification of needs andservices and will aid institutions indoing outreach to youth.@SchoolHouseConn21

Removing Barriers to Financial Aidand Providing Supports to StudentsNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESDesignate a single point of contactfor homeless and foster youth atall institutions of higher educationto help youth access and completehigher education, including byensuring that youth are connectedto applicable and available studentsupport services, programs, andcommunity resources (financialaid, academic advising, housing,food, public benefits, health care,health insurance, mental health,and mentoring).Homeless and foster youth oftenlack a support system to helpthem navigate college. Oftencampus staff do not have expertisein the needs of these populationsto serve them most effectively.Many institutions have designated“SPOCs” who have been oftremendous assistance in assistinghomeless and foster youthsucceed in college.@SchoolHouseConn22

Removing Barriers to Financial Aidand Providing Supports to StudentsNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESProvide priority for institutionallyowned or operated housing, andrequire institutions of highereducation to develop a plan forhow homeless youth and fosteryouth can access housingresources during and betweenacademic terms.Lack of housing during andbetween school breaks is a majorissue for homeless and fosteryouth and can cause youth to dopoorly in school or drop out.@SchoolHouseConn23

Improve Access to Higher EducationBy Leveraging Existing ProgramsNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESTRIO, GEAR-UP, Upward Bound, TalentSearch, Student Support Services, andEducation Opportunity Centers must:Foster and homeless youth arecategorically eligible for these identify, conduct outreach to, and recruit programs, and could benefittremendously from them;homeless children and youth, andchildren and youth in foster care;however, many do not participate Review policies to identify any barriers to due to their mobility, invisibility, oraccess; andenrollment barriers. Submit descriptions of their activities toreach out to homeless children andyouth, summarize any strategies thatwere effective in meeting the needs ofthese groups, and report on the numberof homeless and foster youth served@SchoolHouseConn24

Reduce Barriers to Higher Education byMaking Programs More AffordableNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESHomeless and foster youth areeligible for in-state tuition.The mobility of foster andhomeless youth often make themineligible for in-state tuition whenthey begin school.Affordability is always a concern,especially with no family orsupport networks.@SchoolHouseConn25

Reduce Barriers to Higher Education byMaking Programs More AffordableNEW PROVISIONPROBLEM IT ADDRESSESHomeless and foster youth areprioritized for the Federal WorkStudy Program.Helping youth make ends meet.@SchoolHouseConn26

HUD Homeless Assistance Reform:Homeless Children and Youth Act Overall purpose: allow communities to use federalHUD homeless assistance funding to meet the uniqueneeds of children, youth, and familiesBipartisan bills: Senate bill S. 611 introduced by Senators Portman (ROH) and Feinstein (D-CA) House bill H.R. 1511 introduced by Rep. Stivers (R-OH)and Rep. Loebsack (D-IA)@SchoolHouseConn #passHCYA