Educational Rights

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. 

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).

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.

CCH awards renewable scholarships to first-year college students who succeeded in high school while experiencing homelessness. Since 2004, we have awarded more than $860,000 to 100 students.