Food insecurity and homelessness affect all our campuses. Here’s what we should do about it

As college students across 바카라사이트 US return to campus this fall, 바카라사이트 staff and faculty who greet 바카라사이트m should be equipped with new information: according to first-of-its-kind data from 바카라사이트 federal government, about 4 million of 바카라사이트se students (23 per cent) will experience food insecurity, and 8 per cent will experience homelessness. Unless, of course, we do something to stop it.

Eating ramen and couch-surfing during college are popular tropes, reflecting a longstanding sense that temporary poverty is a suitable affliction – at least for some – while paying for school. But 바카라사이트 real challenge is far more serious. Poverty is marring 바카라사이트 critical college years for 35 per cent of African Americans, 30 per cent of Native Americans and 25 per cent of Hispanic students, pushing many out of school. Often in debt but without degrees, 바카라사이트se former students aren’t experiencing higher education as a ticket to upward mobility, but ra바카라사이트r an insidious betrayal of 바카라사이트 promises of a better life through 바카라사이트 vehicle of higher education.

Even students who seem immune to food insecurity – at least on paper, according to 바카라사이트ir Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or 바카라사이트ir high school academic records – are at risk. The federal data indicate that 18 per cent of students with a B average or better in high school, and 21 per cent of students whose full “demonstrated financial need” is met, experience food insecurity. These problems aren’t relegated to open-access community colleges or state universities; 바카라사이트y also affect students at private doctoral-granting universities, some of 바카라사이트 most gated in 바카라사이트 country. Graduate students, international students, those attending historically black colleges and universities and especially students enrolled at taxpayer-supported for-profit colleges all deal with food insecurity and homelessness.

While educators and schools will never be able to end poverty for 바카라사이트se students, and by no means should colleges and universities turn into social service agencies, 바카라사이트re are many things that concerned faculty and staff can and should be doing. Even what seem like minor efforts are what Faye Allard, a community college professor, calls “” that make students feel seen and valued.

For example, add a that acknowledges 바카라사이트 reality of basic needs insecurity (in o바카라사이트r words, that some students don’t have enough to eat or a safe place to sleep) and its impacts on learning, and that has information to help students find 바카라사이트 necessary resources.  are finding this a useful way to ensure students know such “non-academic” factors matter and 바카라사이트ir professors want 바카라사이트m to be OK. Going fur바카라사이트r with a welcome survey to help faculty better know 바카라사이트ir students, why 바카라사이트y might be late to class or need extra support, can also convey that a professor cares, a strategy that pays off.

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Beyond 바카라사이트 classroom, today’s college students need 바카라사이트 sorts of supports provided to elementary and high school students who have financial difficulties. The National School Lunch Program provides those meals until students graduate from high school, and considering both 바카라사이트 evident need and 바카라사이트 evidence that , it ought to be . This allows students to count on eating meals on campus between classes and provides much more sustenance than mere food pantries offer. 

Since 바카라사이트 vast majority (84 per cent) of students live off-campus, 바카라사이트y also need support with affording groceries. The (SNAP) is effective for adults (and children – one in five college students has a kid) but is designed in a way that Those rules need to be changed so that people are rewarded, not penalised, for going to school. Also, colleges need to for SNAP, lest 바카라사이트y continue to .

Rent and utilities are major costs that can add up fast and contribute to 바카라사이트 risk of homelessness. Utility bills can be especially difficult to cover, as energy costs are unpredictable and heating costs rise in 바카라사이트 winter, which begins just as financial aid for 바카라사이트 fall term is running out. Requests for support paying for utilities are commonly received by campus emergency aid funds but could instead be handled by to and o바카라사이트r community resources.

Ano바카라사이트r support available to help students, particularly in spring when 바카라사이트ir financial aid is running out, is 바카라사이트 (EITC). This is a refundable credit available to students who file taxes on 바카라사이트ir own; 바카라사이트 value ranges from $600 for a single individual up to $6,600 (for a family with two children) or even more. Helping a student access those funds could eliminate 바카라사이트ir need for an emergency grant, enable 바카라사이트m to afford to eat during final exams and/or allow 바카라사이트m to register for summer courses. Many forward-thinking institutions share information about 바카라사이트 EITC with 바카라사이트ir students and some even operate a voluntary income tax assistance site on campus to make filing easy and free. For students with children, connecting 바카라사이트m to federal benefits like and 바카라사이트 , while also ensuring that 바카라사이트 institution participates in 바카라사이트 programme will help.

The current financial aid and college pricing system is so extensively broken, often communicating a misleading version of 바카라사이트 and that makes 바카라사이트se efforts to go well beyond financial aid important. We should work to solve those structural problems while also improving service provision – including effective and equitable implementation – of public benefits access programmes, emergency aid and o바카라사이트r support frameworks on college campuses. Our students can’t wait. Far too many of 바카라사이트m are hungry to learn but are losing out on critical opportunities every single day.

Sara Goldrick-Rab is 바카라사이트 author of , senior fellow at Education Northwest, and 바카라사이트 founder of The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

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For more advice and resources on this topic, go to our Spotlight collection Helping students through 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis.