S.T.A.R. (Students That Are Rising)

Consumers of the STAR program have unique needs related to the specific situations that they may be experiencing. Some needs are immediate, some are short term and some require longer term planning that is outside of the scope of services provided by this office.

Step 1: Present to the office and self-disclose to the counselor or coordinator of STAR services.
Step 2: Present evidence of need (documentation or records are helpful)
Step 3: Complete an intake form (this gives us a history of your situation and extent of your need)
Step 4: A face to face meeting will follow and an assessment of the services that are needed will be agreed upon by you and the staff member.
Step 5: You may receive an application to become part of the STAR program or be referred for community assistance, based on available resources and your presenting problem.

On being a registered STAR student:

• Meet with the coordinator once per week (15 minutes drop in). Some meetings can be done by phone, but not more than 3 per semester.
• Visit the pantry for all your basic personal supplies (once per month)
• Access to the clothing closet at any time, especially for professional clothing needs.
• Eligibility to apply for the laptop scholarship at the end of each semester
• Information on applying for food stamps
• Information and referrals to community resources
• On-campus referrals and advocacy services
• Emergency support
• Financial Aid support
• Financial Literacy and post-graduation independent living planning
• Eligible to participate in all STAR programs

*All services are contingent on available campus/community resources.

Following are common signs of youth homelessness. This list offers general guidance. There is significant variability within this population. Individual students may differ from the following general characteristics. Stereotypes of homelessness do not match the reality of most young people who have lost their homes. The circumstances surrounding each youth’s homelessness will be unique. This fact sheet was taken from College Access and Success for Students Experiencing Homelessness.

(Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, re-authorized under Title X, Part C of NCLB)

The term homeless children and youth
means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence…; and
includes:

• children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
• children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
• children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
• Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described previously.

Students experiencing homelessness face numerous barriers to educational success. The overall context of poverty in which homelessness usually occurs brings with it numerous risk factors that may affect a student’s education, including poor nutrition, a lack of healthcare, unsafe or overcrowded living conditions, and a general environment of financial strain and lack. Residential instability and the resulting school mobility that often accompanies it also place homeless students at an academic disadvantage. Each time a student changes schools, s/he also changes peer groups, instructors, and oftentimes school curricula.

Additionally, students experiencing homelessness often face specific barriers when attempting to enroll in school, including lacking documentation normally required for enrollment, such as a birth certificate, previous school records, proof of guardianship, proof of residence, or immunization or other health records. Homeless students also may lack the funds to purchase school supplies, school uniforms, or others materials needed to participate completely in school programming. Without a quiet space and adequate materials, homeless students may find it difficult, if not impossible, to complete school assignments.

Couple the previously mentioned challenges with the emotional and mental strain caused by family discord and often the added pressure of needing to work to ensure financial survival, and one can appreciate the persistence and dedication that unaccompanied homeless students must demonstrate in order to succeed in school. Given the complex interaction of challenges and barriers faced by homeless students, it is not surprising that some homeless students never graduate from high school.

Your commitment to helping disconnected young adults in our colleges to weather the crises in their lives is appreciated by those who help them; but most importantly, by those who benefit from our services.

On behalf of Savannah State University, The Division of Student Affairs would like to thank you for your participation in the “STAR” pantry drive for our students! In response to the request for personal items, we have received many supplies that are currently being used by our students and other items that we will be careful in managing as they express their needs over the upcoming months. All of this help came from people like yourself who care, and we want to thank you so much for all that you have done. You are so gracious and your help was so needed! You took some of your own time and personal resources to care and help our students and for that we are truly grateful. We share with our students that it is the faculty, staff and the community who make this possible and the students are surprised, touched, humbled and very appreciative.

This pantry has always operated based on a handful of donors but the needs that are met are, and do feel enormous to those in need, and especially those who have no support systems. We are grateful for your collaboration this semester and please feel free to pass the word on to someone else to support this cause.

Dear Student,

RE: Homeless or Aged Out Of Foster Care

If you have experienced homelessness or you have aged out of foster care, it may interest you to know that on every University System of Georgia campus there is a person who is the point of contact (POC) for these and related services. On our campus at Savannah State University, that person is Jacqueline Awe. The staff of the counseling center is also available to provide support with these specific/unique needs; through our Students That Are Rising (STAR) program. The mission of the STAR program is to improve higher education outcomes and retention for disconnected students, who have aged out of foster care or are homeless; through the use of campus-community supportive networks and resources.

Our website outlines the various services and programs that are offered, as well as community resources, links to various programs nationwide and scholarships. We encourage you to voluntarily self- identify to one of our staff members, so you may explore what is available, and discover how we could support you as you matriculate through your four years of college.

Thank you for your interest in supportive services.
Our Motto: HELP is NOT a bad 4 letter word!

Sincerely,
Jacqueline Awe

It is the intent of Savannah State University [SSU] to provide this grievance procedure in order that your serious concerns might be resolved completely and amicably. We, therefore fully intend that these internal remedies be exhausted prior to the filing of any legal action.

Students who feel that a decision by the STAR Program staff member/designee does not fully comply with SSU’s policies should follow the appropriate procedure as outlined below:

Complaints by Students of STAR violations of SSU’s Policies
Students should first meet with the Coordinator of STAR Services = Director of Student Development and attempt to resolve the problem. It is anticipated that most questions or concerns will be resolved in this way.

Cases unresolved at the Coordinator’s level may be appealed to the Dean of Students. The Coordinator of STAR/Director of Student Development will assist the student in making an appointment with and will forward materials relevant to the complaint to the Dean.

The Dean of Students for Student Affairs will meet with the student and attempt to resolve the appeal. If the Dean and the student are not successful, the student will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

If the student feels that the issue is not successfully addressed at these levels, the student may approach the President of the University and ultimately to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

The educational barriers faced by homeless students are not limited to kindergarten through high school. High school graduates experiencing homelessness likely will encounter roadblocks should they wish to continue on to higher education.

Many high school graduates in homeless situations have not had anyone to serve as a mentor and role model in the area of education. Few, if any, people in their lives have helped them prepare for college or encouraged them to consider it as a realistic option for their path towards adulthood and financial independence. Despite this, many homeless youth wish to continue on to higher education and set out to take the steps necessary to make this happen. Along the way, they are likely to encounter these and other barriers (Emerson, Duffield, Salazar, & Unrau, 2012):

• lack of support from an adult who has the experience and knowledge needed to provide assistance in the college search and application process;
• difficulty paying fees for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, college entrance exams such as the ACT and SAT, and college applications;
• difficulty completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); this is particularly true for unaccompanied homeless youth -UHY, who may be unable to access information on their parents’ income and assets or get a parent signature; a financial aid package that is insufficient to meet their financial need;
• difficulty paying housing deposits and other expenses that may be due before financial aid funds become available; and
• lack of information about various supports that may be available to them, including college advising from a high school counselor, private scholarships, state-specific opportunities for homeless students, and the Education Training Voucher (ETV) program for foster youth.

Once enrolled in college, students experiencing homelessness often continue to face challenges in reaching college graduation, including (Emerson, Duffield, Salazar, & Unrau, 2012):

• continued lack of support from a helpful, caring adult;
• struggles with mental health issues related to the distress caused by homelessness; and, for UHY, often a history of physical, sexual, or mental abuse;
• insufficient support with developing solid study skills, securing stable housing and reliable transportation, and deciding on a college major or potential career path; and
• difficulty balancing the demands of schoolwork, the need to work to pay bills, and other responsibilities.

Without much-needed support, youth experiencing homelessness may be unable to surmount the barriers and persist through to college graduation, seeing their dreams of a college degree, professional advancement, and financial stability fall by the wayside.

Source: NAEHCY College Access and Success for Students experiencing homelessness toolkit for educators and service providers. Hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of shattered dreams. ~S.A. Sachs

To mobilize SSU students to understand and respond to severe lack of resources and homelessness among their peers.

• Respect for individuals
• Empathy
• Brother’s keeper
• Respect for support
• Respect for work
• Healthy help seeking behaviors
• Maintaining the dignity of the person

Activities

• Fundraising for care packages
• Pantry and closet drives
• Outreach sessions on campus
• Co-hosting radio shows with community members who work and volunteer with our homeless population.
• Presentations to students who are aging out of foster care and considering attending college
• Presentation at conferences on related topics.
• Peer ambassadors for the Nsoro Guardian Scholars Pre-Collegiate Summer Program