Learning Ecosystems

OVER ONE-THIRD OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE FACING FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY, SAYS A NEW REPORT — with thanks to Angela Baggetta for this resource

PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 3, 2018)—A new report led by Temple University Professor Sara Goldrick-Rab and her team at the Wisconsin HOPE Lab finds that over one-third of university students have faced food and housing insecurity in the past year. Nine percent of university students also have been homeless.

“Still Hungry and Homeless in College” is the third report issued by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab assessing food and housing insecurity among college students across states. This year’s study surveyed 43,000 students at 66 community colleges and universities in 20 states and the District of Columbia (list of participating institutions follows). Previously the reports focused only on community colleges; this year the report also includes data from more than 20,000 students at 35 universities (30 public and 5 private) in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

“While the report does not include estimates that are ‘nationally representative,’ it is currently the best source of information on the prevalence of basic needs insecurities at colleges across the country,” said Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, who conducted the research with her Temple colleagues Joel Schneider and Clare Cady, and her Wisconsin colleagues Jed Richardson and Anthony Hernandez. “Other studies have focused on single systems of higher education within states, or draw on household surveys (where college students are often missed) to look only at food insecurity. But food and housing insecurity and homelessness are overlapping issues that are best understood together. Until we do so, we can’t formulate lasting and effective solutions to promote degree completion.”

The report finds that overall:

• 36% of university students were food-insecure in the last 30 days, as were 42% of community college students.
• 36% of university students were housing-insecure in the past year, as were 46% of community college students.
• 9% of university students were homeless in the past year, as were 12% of community college students.
• Less than half of all students surveyed reported being completely secure, meaning they did not experience any food or housing insecurity, or homelessness, in the past year.

The report also finds a disparity in risk endured by certain types of students. For example:

• More than 60% of former foster youth were both food and housing insecure, and 24% had experienced homelessness in the last year.
• Students identifying as non-binary and those who are homosexual or bisexual were greatly overrepresented among students enduring basic needs insecurities.
• African-American and Native American students were much more likely than non-Hispanic white or Asian students to experience food or housing insecurity.
• The Pell Grant does not provide sufficient protection: Compared to non-Pell recipients, Pell recipients are 14-20 percentage points more likely to experience food and housing insecurity, and 4-6 percentage points more likely to experience homelessness.

While university students are more likely than community college students to have access to on-campus housing and meal plans, even these supports do not shield students from these challenges. For example, the report finds that 26% of university students with a meal plan and 26% of university students living on campus experienced food insecurity within the last 30 days. And 7% of university students who dealt with homelessness said that they struggled because residence halls were closed during breaks.

Students who experience basic needs insecurities are clearly committed to school and are trying to work to make ends meet. But their academics still suffer. The study found that:

• At both community colleges and universities, rates of food and housing insecurity were higher among students who worked longer hours. For example, 34-38% of students working 6-20 hours per week were food insecure, compared to 48-51% of students working 40 hours or more per week. Moreover, community college students who were unemployed but seeking work exhibited rates of food and housing insecurity comparable to those of students working 40 hours or more per week.
• The amount of time committed to college—both time spent in class and time spent studying—is very similar for students whose basic needs are secured and those who are enduring food and/or housing insecurity.
• But that time commitment does not translate into similar levels of success. Among students who reported receiving D’s and F’s in college, more than half were food insecure, with more than 40% at the very lowest level of food security. Rates of housing insecurity among these students were even higher: over the last year, more than 55% were housing insecure, and more than one-fifth were homeless.

Despite the evidence that food and housing insecurity and homelessness are real challenges to students today, there are precious few support systems in place at community colleges, universities, or in the broader community. Only 26% of food insecure students at 2-year colleges and 12% at 4-year colleges received SNAP. And of the students who experienced homelessness in the past year, only 8% of 2-year students and 5% of 4-year students received housing assistance.

The full report can be found here:
http://wihopelab.com/publications/Wisconsin-HOPE-Lab-Still-Hungry-and-Homeless.pdf

And the companion FAQ can be found here:
http://wihopelab.com/publications/Wisconsin-HOPE-Lab-Still-Hungry-and-Homeless-FAQ.pdf

Also see:

Hunger And Homelessness Are Widespread Among College Students, Study Finds — from NPR.org

Excerpt:

As college students grapple with the rising costs of classes and books, mortgaging their futures with student loans in exchange for a diploma they’re gambling will someday pay off, it turns out many of them are in great financial peril in the present, too.

More than a third of college students don’t always have enough to eat and they lack stable housing, according to a survey published Tuesday by researchers at Temple University and the Wisconsin HOPE Lab.

Overall the study concluded 36 percent of college students say they are food insecure. Another 36 percent say they are housing insecure, while 9 percent report being homeless. The results are largely the same as last year’s survey, which included fewer students.

Addendum on 4/18/18 — from Angela Baggetta:

COLLEGE STUDENTS BATTLING HOMELESSNESS, HUNGER, AND OTHER FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES INVITED TO SHARE THEIR STORIES IN NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION

 #RealCollege: Voices for Change Kicks off April 18

PHILADELPHIA (April 18, 2018)—College students across the country who have encountered hunger, homelessness, and other financial and social roadblocks as they pursue their studies are invited to share their stories in a national awareness and education campaign kicking off on Wednesday.

#RealCollege: Voices for Change was created by Temple University’s Sara Goldrick-Rab and her team at the forthcoming HOPE Center for College, Community, and Justice.  The HOPE Center, which launches in September, will be an evolution of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, also founded by Dr. Goldrick-Rab. She is the nation’s leading expert on the many financial burdens facing college students today, and best known for her research finding widespread food and housing insecurity among college students.

“Many people harbor stereotypes and misunderstandings of today’s college students. They think they don’t work, abuse financial aid, or are otherwise lazy and academically adrift. Data contradict those assumptions,” said Dr. Goldrick-Rab. “Our goal is to provide students who often feel invisible with a platform to have their voices elevated and heard, so that they can help correct the story. There are so many aspects of being a college student that are just not known by administrators, professors, parents, and other policymakers.”

Students will become teachers by providing submissions that can educate people about the challenges of attending college today. Some of the students who submit their stories will be asked to attend and speak at the #RealCollege conference at Temple University this September. Others will be invited to testify about their experiences before lawmakers and policymakers at the local or national level.

“As a longtime practitioner, I can tell you that students’ voices matter in how we do our work—and they should matter even more than they do now,” said Clare Cady, Director of Research Application and Dissemination at the HOPE Center.

Students can submit their audio stories on the #RealCollege website under the “Voices for Change” tab: https://realcollege.org/voices-for-change/submissions/. A full list of eligibility requirements can also be found on the site. Stories will be accepted from April 18 through August 17, 2018. To be eligible to submit their stories, students should have been enrolled at least half time in an institution of higher learning during spring, summer, or fall of 2018. That said, it is acceptable for the student to have left school for any reason. In fact, that may be an important part of their story.

Students also may record their audio stories in person at two events this spring. The first takes place April 18 on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, and the second takes place May 10 on the campus of Bunker Hill Community College in Boston.

Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter is a Community College of Philadelphia student, and soon-to-be graduate, who is working with the HOPE Center team. “I’m a returning citizen and was homeless during college.  But you won’t find stories like mine on TV.  We need to change that,” she said.

Sponsors of #RealCollege: Voices for Change include Boston Foundation, New Profit, and PayPal.