Improving the post-secondary educational opportunities  for low-income students is one of the foci at the Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis (CHEPA). We conduct studies with sub-groups of lowincome students (e.g. youth in foster care and undocumented youth) to improve policies and practices that impact their access to higher education. Education plays a critical role in how adolescents mature into adults. One of the most vulnerable, and often forgotten, sub-populations of the poor is homeless youth. While they experience challenges similar to other low-income students, their lack of a stable or adequate residence creates a unique set of educational barriers. CHEPA researchers spent 18 months documenting the experiences of homeless adolescents in Los Angeles. The data derive from 123 interviews with homeless adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19, and an additional 45 interviews with shelter staff, social workers, parents, teachers, and school district administrators. Follow up interviews were conducted with 30 of the youth to understand their experiences in greater depth. Over 400 hours were dedicated to observing the daily lives of homeless youth.