Homeless students face education crisis as pandemic aid expires

During the pandemic, 1.3m students in the U.S. faced homelessness, living in overcrowded spaces, shelters, cars, and other unstable environments. With no access to basic necessities like food, technology, or electricity, many lost the only constant in their lives: school. The pandemic amplified academic challenges for these students, leading to a chronic absenteeism rate of 52%—far higher than the overall 30% for students nationwide by 2021-22. Additionally, homeless students’ high school graduation rates fell 18 percentage points below the national average. Advocates are urging Congress to increase annual funding for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program from its current $129m to $800m. Such an increase would provide long-term support to millions of homeless students, helping them stabilize their lives, succeed in school, and reduce the future risk of entrenched homelessness.