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Students experiencing homelessness face barriers to enrollment, school resources, and academic success. CCH leads efforts to ensure that unstably housed children and youth have equal access to a public education.

Education Legal Assistance

woman sitting in classroom

Both Illinois state law and the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act safeguard the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness.

Through the Educational Rights Initiative, attorneys with CCH’s Law Project help students with enrollment, fee waivers, transportation access, and other school-based needs. We also help unaccompanied college students access financial aid. 

Education Advocacy

Within Chicago Public Schools (CPS), CCH advocacy created a central homeless education office, with a designated homeless liaison required in each school (2000). We strengthened CPS’ homeless education policy in 2016, protecting students’ right to transportation assistance and to appeal if denied enrollment or services.

CCH advocates in Springfield to improve education access, recently passing legislation to create dedicated homeless liaisons at Illinois colleges and universities (2021), require charter schools to waive fees and fines for low-income families (2022), and provide trainings for school employees on how to identify and support unstably housed students (2023).

CPS Focus Group

The CPS Focus Group works to increase resources and improve opportunities for students experiencing homelessness within Chicago Public Schools. Comprised of parents and caregivers impacted by homelessness, members provide recommendations to CPS and the Illinois State Board of Education to support unstably housed students and families.

College Scholarship Program

CCH awards renewable scholarships to first-year college students who succeeded in high school while experiencing homelessness. Since 2004, we have awarded more than $770,000 to 94 students.

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CCH celebrates six new college scholarship winners and three recent graduates

Current and former CCH scholarship students Chicago Coalition to end Homelessness (CCH)…

Back to School 2024-25

The start of the 2024-25 school year is quickly approaching!  The first…

2024 Illinois Legislative Session Wrap Up 

This spring Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) advocated for several statewide measures…

CCH honors community members who made our 2023 victories possible

More than 100 community leaders, elected officials, and coalition members gathered at…
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