Bill Overview
Title: Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2022
Description: of 2022 This bill requires certain actions to support access to higher education for children and youth who are homeless or in foster care. Among other provisions, the bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) participating in financial aid programs to give priority to these students for any on-campus housing during and between academic terms. Further, the bill requires IHEs to designate a staff liaison to assist these students with support services, programs, and community resources in a variety of areas, including financial aid and housing. The bill also requires these students to receive in-state tuition rates at public IHEs. Under current law, some states offer these students in-state tuition or provide them with tuition waivers.
Sponsors: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Target Audience
Population: Homeless and Foster Youth seeking Higher Education
Estimated Size: 1000000
- The bill targets individuals who are either homeless or in foster care and who are pursuing higher education.
- According to the National Center for Homeless Education, over 1.5 million students identified as homeless pre-college in 2019-2020.
- The frequency of homelessness during college among undergraduate students in the US was about 14% according to a Hope Center survey.
- There are around 400,000 children in foster care in the US at any given time, with variation in age and college eligibility.
- While not all college-aged foster youth or homeless individuals in the US enter higher education, a significant fraction of them could benefit from the provisions of this bill.
Reasoning
- The bill focuses on a very targeted and vulnerable group—homeless and foster youth pursuing higher education.
- The budget and scale of the policy must serve approximately 1,000,000 individuals or less to stay within logistical and cost constraints.
- The Cantril wellbeing scale captures subjective wellbeing shifts which may arise due to improved access to education, housing stability, and support services.
- Interviews must reflect a cross-section of the target group: those currently maximally stressed and those less so, but all within the target demographic.
Simulated Interviews
College Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've always struggled with housing stability since I aged out of the foster care system. This program could really help by guaranteeing me a place to stay over holidays when dorms typically close.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Unemployed (Detroit, MI)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having somewhere to live while I'm in school would make a world of difference. Right now, I'm couch surfing and it affects my focus.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
College Student (Austin, TX)
Age: 20 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've had a tough time keeping up with rent. If I could secure on-campus housing, I'd save money and stress.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Working Part-time (Chicago, IL)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm just starting my education journey. This policy could mean I stop worrying about my next crash pad and focus on learning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
High School Senior (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 18 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm excited about college but worried about how to afford the housing. This could really increase my chances of success by providing support and stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Part-time Student/Worker (New York, NY)
Age: 21 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having access to stable housing 24/7 is crucial. I could focus on my studies better and not worry about where to spend the night.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Graduate Student (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Although I'm currently stable, having access to affordable on-campus housing would alleviate any sudden changes in my circumstances.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Full-time College Student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to priority housing for breaks would prevent a lot of stress. I wouldn't have to find temporary housing when dorms close.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Working Full-time (Boston, MA)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Stable housing through college would enable me to pursue further education part-time without the fear of homelessness.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Part-time Worker/Student (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 21 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Securing consistent housing would let me study more and work less. It would lift a heavy burden.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $120000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $150000000)
Year 2: $123600000 (Low: $103000000, High: $155250000)
Year 3: $127308000 (Low: $106090000, High: $160658250)
Year 5: $135085680 (Low: $112749410, High: $171381082)
Year 10: $152333467 (Low: $127129731, High: $193173783)
Year 100: $413213668 (Low: $344546664, High: $522217085)
Key Considerations
- While immediate expenditures are required for education facilities and staff, long-term societal benefits can derive from better education access for vulnerable populations.
- Estimating the exact number of foster and homeless youth entering higher education is challenging due to incomplete data and dynamic living situations.