Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS)

Eligibility for Services

A student is considered to be in a temporary living situation if he or she lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes children and youth who are:

• sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
• living in a motel/hotel, trailer park or camping ground, due to lack of alternative, adequate housing
• living in emergency or transitional shelters
• living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or similar setting;
• abandoned in hospitals
• migratory children living in one of the above settings
• youth not in the custody of a parent/guardian (unaccompanied youth) of any age, in one of the above settings.

Change of Housing Circumstances

Students in temporary living situations who become permanently housed will continue receiving STLS services through the end of the current school year.

School Enrollment

All students experiencing housing instability can immediately enroll in school, even without the usual required documentation. Students who are qualified as Unaccompanied Homeless Youth by the STLS Liaison do not need an adult present to enroll. While the usual documentation is not required for enrollment, you must complete the STLS Service Initiation form to receive STLS services.

Students eligible for STLS services can immediately enroll in their:

• School of origin: The school the student attended when they were permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled.
• Neighborhood school: The school in the attendance area where the child or youth is currently living. Find your neighborhood school using the school locator map.

Students with STLS eligibility can also apply to charter schools, selective enrollment schools, magnet schools, and all other CPS programs in the same way as all other students. For more information, view the Apply and Enroll web page.

Once enrolled, a student may remain in their selected school for as long as they are in a temporary living situation or, if they become permanently housed, until the end of that academic year.

STLS Students Have the Right To:

• Receive a free, appropriate public education: The same free, appropriate schooling and district programs available to all students.
• Immediate enrollment in school: Even if they lack typical enrollment documents like a birth certificate or proof of residence without documentation including health, immunization, guardianship, or residency information.
• Remain in their school of origin (the school they attended before they became homeless) if it is in their best interest.
• Access the same educational services and programs as other students: Including special education, gifted and talented programs, and career and technical education.
• Participation in services and programs: Including extra curriculum events and activities, sports,  and after school programming.