People who are homeless face plenty of obstacles to stabilizing their lives. Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls) sponsors a bill which would offer them a hand up to help further their education.
HF1324 would allow the education commissioner to waive the fee for the General Equivalency for Diploma test for eligible people who are homeless, including those using emergency shelters. The state currently reimburses testing centers up to $40 for each test administered, but test costs range from $50 to $100 among the 50 centers where it is administered.
To pay the balance “can be extremely cost-prohibitive for people who are experiencing homelessness,” said Matthew Ayers, Heading Home Hennepin project manager. He said about 26 percent of homeless adults in Minnesota do not have a high school diploma or GED, and that between 400 and 800 of those would be eligible and ready to pursue the GED.
Ayers said helping them to further their education “is the best way to ensure they will never again experience homelessness.”
Youthlink Program Director Paul Ramsour said 104 of the 1,400 homeless or “precariously housed” young people served there last year participated in education services. Thirty-seven percent earned the GED, and 62 percent enrolled in postsecondary institutions, many at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
“This is a very important step for many people,” Hornstein said. “There is a real need for this, and it’s a very cost-effective way for people to take the first step toward self sufficiency. It’s needed and I think you can really make a difference in people’s lives.”
The House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division laid the bill over March 17 for possible inclusion in its omnibus bill. Its companion, SF1364, sponsored by Sen. D. Scott Dibble (DFL-Mpls), awaits action by the Senate E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division.
The year without a K-12 law
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House K-12 omnibus bill fast-tracked
Senate slow to respond with companion legislation
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K-12 education omnibus bill stalls
Teacher licensure proposals in contention
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Published 5/6/2010
K-12 education bill moves forward
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Resuscitating Race to the Top bid
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Raiders of the lost fund
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Schools shore up state’s checkbook
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Published 2/25/2010
At Issue: No shifts, no cuts
Education funding in a holding pattern
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Published 5/29/2009
At Issue: E-12 education bill that might have been
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Published 5/15/2009
At Issue: Investing in quality care for kids
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At Issue: Building a better formula
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Published 4/24/2009
At Issue: Whose values are they anyway?
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Published 4/17/2009
First Reading: One school doesn’t fit all
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Published 4/10/2009
At Issue: Hopeful education goals in a dismal year
Omnibus bill addresses changing needs and future demands
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Published 4/3/2009
At Issue: Getting kids to move
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Published 2/20/2009
First Reading: Accountability funding for all
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Published 2/13/2009
At Issue: Q Comp found wanting
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Published 2/6/2009
At Issue: Reforming education, saving money
Bipartisan support shown for mandate reduction and shared services
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Published 1/23/2009
Feature: Passing the torch of democracy
Youth immerse themselves in lingo and actions of lawmaking
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Published 1/16/2009