{"id":"mckinney-vento-homeless-student-rights","name":"McKinney-Vento Education Rights for Students Experiencing Homelessness","provider":"State and local educational agencies under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act","entitlement_type":"government-benefit","entitlement_type_label":"Government benefit","entitlement_type_context":{"definition":"A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route.","domain":"public-benefits","archetype":"direct-program","agent_instruction":"Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."},"summary":"Children and youth experiencing homelessness have federal rights to immediate school enrollment, school stability, full participation, and support through a local homeless-education liaison even when ordinary enrollment documents are unavailable.","benefit":{"description":"Immediate enrollment and attendance, a best-interest decision about staying in the school of origin or enrolling locally, transportation to the school of origin when required, comparable school services, help obtaining records, and a written dispute and appeal process.","estimated_value_usd":null},"discovery":{"focus":"public-service","has_estimated_dollar_value":false},"access":{"relationships":["Child or youth experiencing homelessness","Unaccompanied homeless youth","Parent or caregiver seeking school access for an eligible student"],"requirements":"The child or youth must meet the McKinney-Vento definition based on lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Coverage can include sharing housing because of loss or hardship, shelters, motels, cars, public spaces, and unaccompanied youth situations; the local liaison determines eligibility and disputes can be appealed.","activation":"Ask the school district for its local homeless-education liaison, explain the current living situation, request immediate enrollment or school-of-origin support, and use the written dispute process if eligibility, school selection, enrollment, or transportation is denied.","cost_basis":"no-cost","cost_basis_label":"No-cost access","cost_basis_context":{"classification":"free","definition":"The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.","agent_instruction":"Still disclose optional add-ons, transportation, parking, replacement charges, taxes, capacity, and eligibility conditions found in fees or requirements.","variation_patterns":null,"does_not_mean":null},"fees":"The protected public education, liaison help, and required transportation are free. The law does not pay every housing, travel, child-care, clothing, or personal expense, though the liaison can connect families to other supports.","personalized":false,"regions":["US","Public school districts and covered charter schools"],"expires":null},"status":"verified","last_checked":"2026-08-04","claim_url":"https://nche.ed.gov/legislation/mckinney-vento/","source_url":"https://nche.ed.gov/enrolling-children-and-youth-experiencing-homelessness-in-school/","source":{"primary_url":"https://nche.ed.gov/enrolling-children-and-youth-experiencing-homelessness-in-school/","evidence":[{"source":"State and local educational agencies under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act","url":"https://nche.ed.gov/enrolling-children-and-youth-experiencing-homelessness-in-school/","kind":"provider","checked_at":"2026-08-04"}]},"parent":null,"coverage":{"level":"national","family":"children-and-education","jurisdiction":"United States","maturity":"direct"},"web_url":"/benefits/mckinney-vento-homeless-student-rights","taxonomy":{"version":"1.0","url":"/api/v1/taxonomy"}}