According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, more than 50,000 children were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2023-24 school year. Without supportive intervention, these students face profound barriers that undermine their ability to attend school consistently, perform academically, and ultimately graduate. Further, youth who do not complete high school face steep economic consequences as compared to their peers who graduate, as they are twice as likely to be unemployed, earn approximately $10,000 less per year, and are 4.5 times more likely to experience homelessness as adults.
 
To help prevent the damaging effects of homelessness, I am proposing legislation that will create the Homeless Education AWARDS (Assisting with Academic Resources for Displaced Students) grant program to give schools the resources they need to provide meaningful intervention and supports to students experiencing homelessness. The Homeless Education AWARDS will be a multi-year grant program to give money to schools and partnering community organizations to assist these students. These targeted investments will help give students experiencing homelessness the stability and assistance that they need to stay engaged in school, succeed academically, and graduate ready for postsecondary education and meaningful employment.
 
Please consider co-sponsoring this important legislation to help our schools better support students experiencing homelessness.