The stereotypical image of the college student, couch-surfing and living on ramen, can obscure the grim realities of growing levels of hunger and homelessness. The number of homeless students – or those who are very close to it – is difficult to determine, partly because there is a huge stigma surrounding the issue. However, a new study released by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab shows just how pervasive student homelessness is, and some educators believe that it is growing. The study, which surveyed 70 community colleges in 24 states, found that 14% of those interviewed had no place to live. The findings build on a previously-published California State University study which estimated student homelessness to be between 8 and 12 percent. In 2015-16, 32,000 college applicants were identified as ‘unaccompanied homeless youth’ on federal student aid forms, a number thought to be a low count. One possible reason for this is that nowadays there are fewer well-paying jobs for people without a college degree (only 11% of those surveyed reported making more than $15 an hour). It could also be due to the changing demographic of the college-going population. Essentially, more low-income students are arriving on campus without a safety net, and no one to bail them out when they need help. This is not only happening in urban poor communities, but affects students from working-class and formerly middle-class families, in rural communities and in communities of colour. The trend is also growing at esteemed four-year colleges (like Amherst College), and not just at relatively less-prestigious schools.
Evidently, this growing
problem shows that colleges are not doing enough to deal with this issue
(though some schools, like LaGuardia Community College, give students access to
a food pantry and help them to apply for benefits like food stamps). What’s
your take on it?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/education/edlife/college-student-homelessness.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Feducation&_r=0
I think it's an issue that colleges are not doing a lot to help students out with the issue of being homeless. I think with more people going to college as well as increases in college tuition, the number of college students being homeless will continue to grow. I think what LaGuardia College is doing, with food stamps and access to the pantry, helps a lot but the problem I see with this is that some people will possibly become dependent on these avenues. I think a solution is colleges should try to help students out by providing more opportunities for students to be able to get job.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that there are even this many homeless college students. I can't imagine going to school and not having a place to live. If schools can band together to tackle the issue I think it would be much more efficient. Maybe some type of nation wide program that schools can easily opt into would increase awareness and help solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteThis is really the first time I have heard of college homelessness being a problem in campuses. Which speaks to lack of awareness on this issue. There is a large need for this being brought up and talked about more. I agree with Brandon on how colleges need to provide more opportunities for students to get jobs on campus. This is only a temporary solution though, colleges must increase the awareness of this issue before it gets out of hand across campuses.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of people's views above. I am surprisingly shocked by this issue. I think it is pretty nice that LaGuardia Community College providing food pantries for students and food stamps, but this does not solve the basic problem and what if the school cannot afford to provide such things? I agree with Branden's suggestion that maybe provide more opportunities for students to get jobs.
ReplyDeleteI think the issue here is that the cost of higher education is too high. Many students are working 40 hours, which covers their tuition, but consequently, it means they have to sacrifice things like shelter and proper food. Colleges also make a lot of money from their residential systems, which means many students cannot afford room and board provided by the institute. If a college really was about education, they would make the living part of it easier and much more affordable for lower income students.
ReplyDeleteI had also never heard about student homelessness. Perhaps more financial aid packages should include housing. I think if an institution decides to enroll students that cannot afford housing, they should look into making sure that they have somewhere to live as well.
ReplyDelete