Bill > A10656

This bill expands eligibility for tuition assistance awards for students experiencing homelessness by amending existing education law. Specifically, it clarifies that students who are considered homeless under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which provides a framework for assisting homeless youth, will now be recognized for the purposes of federal student financial aid programs, similar to orphans, foster children, or wards of the court. The bill also mandates the creation of a uniform method for verifying a student's homeless status, which must align with the verification methods used for federal student financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or the McKinney-Vento Act. This ensures consistency in how homelessness is identified for tuition assistance. Furthermore, while the bill addresses parental income exclusion and emancipation for award determination, it explicitly states that students qualifying as homeless under these federal acts will not be considered emancipated for the purpose of determining their award amount under section six hundred sixty-seven of the education law.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10656