The old trope of the starving college student has been pushed to a breaking point and many students are now facing tough choices just to get an education. A recent study by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice shows that college poverty is a very real and pervasive issue in the United States. It’s also one that has solutions, if we understand what it really looks like.
Nationally, 3 out of 5 college and university students report experiencing housing and/or food insecurity at some point during the year.
Do these numbers surprise you? Do you wonder why they are so high? Take a moment to see this experience through the eyes of a struggling college student:
Tim isn’t alone in his experience. Low-income college and university students from all walks of life face the same challenges of high tuition, exorbitant rental rates, and rising costs of food. There are options for support and available resources if we take the time to develop and sustain them.
At Wesley House, we connect these students with the types of support that preclude them from having to choose between education and eating. We offer access to affordable housing, a food pantry, mentorships and tutoring, case management by an on-site social worker, public aid application assistance, and referrals to the myriad resources available in San Diego County.
Wraparound support works. We have the graduates to prove it. But it’s not cheap and its importance is not always understood. We can help these students complete their college experiences by doing something as simple as providing for their basic needs. When we do, they go on to become stable, productive members of society who give back to their communities in spades because they understand what it means to struggle and succeed.
Tim is a fictitious persona created by combining the stories of multiple students who are real people.
The experiences are real, the person is not.