Definitions & Benefits of Homeless Youth

A unaccompanied homeless youth is a person aged 16 to 22 who is not in the custody of a parent or guardian, including those who have run away, been forced out, or left behind by their parents. An unaccompanied homeless youth may be certified if:

  1. A school district’s homeless liaison determines the youth qualifies under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (as of January 1, 2023) or
  2. The youth is believed to qualify under the same Act by:

a. A HUD-funded emergency shelter director or designee

b. AHHS-funded youth shelter or program director or designee

c. A continuum of care lead agency or its designee

A certified unaccompanied homeless youth may use the following form to have the following fees waived:

  1. The fee for the issuance of an identification card waived under § 27-16-805(a)
  2. The fee for the issuance of a driver’s license waived under § 27-16-801(i)
  3. Any other costs incidental to licensure waved under § 27-16-801
  4. The fee for driver education waived under § 27-18-106
  5. The fee for issuance of a certified copy of one’s birth certificate waived under § 20-18-306(c)
  6. The fee for issuance of a copy of one’s transcript waived under § 6-61-142

*Excerpt from Arkansas House Bill 1462