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Best Practices for UHY Determination
October 15, 2025 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join us for a discussion on best practices for determining unaccompanied homelessness status for students. This webinar will be led by the Passport team at WSAC, alongside two Passport financial aid administrators. We will be revisiting the definition of unaccompanied homeless youth, looking at recent data and trends, discussing best practices for determination based on WSAC’s guidelines, and looking at specific student scenarios. We hope you can join us!
Meet our Speakers!
Executive Director, Student Financial Resources
Bellingham Technical College
Chantel Fields serves as Executive Director of Student Financial Resources at Bellingham Technical College, where she leads efforts to promote equitable access to higher education and reduce financial barriers for students. With over 20 years of experience in financial aid and student services, she is dedicated to fostering collaboration, ethical leadership, and innovative practices that enhance student success. Chantel has practical experience supporting Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and has presented on this topic in the past. She holds a Master of Education in Adult and Higher Education from Western Washington University and is an active volunteer and leader within Washington’s financial aid community.
Assistant Director, Scholarships
Office of Student Financial Aid
University of Washington
Angie has worked in financial aid for a total of 18 years, with 11 of those years at the University of Washington’s financial aid office. Her first role at the UW was a financial aid counselor, then a financial aid systems analyst, and currently as the Assistant Director of Scholarships. She has supported Passport students and collaborated with Passport staff for over 6 years.
Assistant Director, Passport to Careers
Washington Student Achievement Council
Dawn Cypriano-McAferty is serving as an Assistant Director at the Washington Student Achievement Council and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Passport to Careers and SETuP programs.
Dawn began working in financial aid over 25 years ago as a work-study student and continued her career at WSAC in the Educational Opportunity Grant, WICHE, and State Work-Study programs. She is committed to working with campuses and community partners to develop support services for students and is especially passionate about connecting vulnerable student populations with educational resources.
Dawn earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology at St. Martin’s University and a master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governor’s University. She resides in Rochester and enjoys spending time with her family, reading, participating in dog sports, and cheering for her favorite sports teams.
Program Coordinator, Passport to Careers Washington Student Achievement Council
Stacia Schienbein is the Passport to Careers Program Coordinator and has been with WSAC since June 2025. She is thrilled to be part of the WPN working alongside such an amazing group working to support Passport students. Her free time is spent with her husband and their two kids watching movies and playing with their Boston Terrier. She’s a lover of books, building Lego and playing card & board games.
