Document Author: Sara Goldrick-Rab

California Community Colleges #RealCollege Report (2019)

The #RealCollege survey is the nation’s largest annual
assessment of basic needs security among college
students. The survey, which specifically evaluates
access to affordable food and housing, began in 2015
under the Wisconsin HOPE Lab. This report describes
the results of the #RealCollege survey administered at
nearly half of the schools in the California Community
College system in the fall of 2016 and 2018.

ALMOST 40,000 STUDENTS
AT 57 CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
PARTICIPATED. THE
RESULTS INDICATE:
• 50% of respondents
were food insecure in
the prior 30 days,
• 60% of respondents
were housing insecure in
the previous year,
• 19% of respondents were
homeless in the previous
year.
Rates of basic needs insecurity vary by region and
by institution. The highest incidence of basic needs
insecurity is found in the Northern Coastal, Northern
Inland, and Greater Sacramento regions of California.
In contrast, rates of basic needs insecurity are far
lower, albeit still substantial, in the South Central
region of the state, which includes Santa Barbara.
Rates of basic needs insecurity are higher for marginalized
students, including African Americans, students
identifying as LGBTQ, and students considered
independent from their parents or guardians for
financial aid purposes. Students who have served in
the military, former foster youth, and formerly incarcerated
students are all at greater risk of basic needs
insecurity. Working during college is not associated
with a lower risk of basic needs insecurity, and
neither is receiving the federal Pell Grant; the latter is
associated with higher rates of basic needs insecurity.

Basic Needs Insecurity in the Higher Education Instructional Workforce (2020)

n the fall of 2019, nearly 550 instructional staff members from four community colleges and oneuniversity responded to a pilot #RealCollege survey designed specifically for faculty and staffmembers. This report describes the results of that pilot survey examining basic needs insecurityamong educators (i.e., faculty members and instructors) in higher education.

Parenting While In College: Basic Needs Insecurity Among Students With Children (2020)

At least one in five of today’s college students is parenting a child while enrolled in classes.󰀱 Ifthese parenting students complete their degrees, both they and their children could expectimproved social, economic, and health outcomes. Nevertheless, degree attainment rates amongparenting students are low, and evidence about their experiences—which is critical to improvingpolicy and practice regarding parenting students—is sparse.In 2019, the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice began using our tools tofill that gap. Specifically, we added new questions to our fifth annual #RealCollege survey,asking parenting students at 171 two-year institutions and 56 four-year institutions about theirexperiences with basic needs insecurity, childcare, depression and anxiety, and campus and socialsupports

Investing in Student Completion: Overcoming Financial Barriers to Retention Through Small-Dollar Grants and Emergency Aid Programs (2015)

In this report, researchers at the Wisconsin HOPE Lab use data from surveys and interviews conducted with emergency aid program administrators around the country in order to provide details on the current landscape of emergency aid. At least 100 programs are operating— some have support from larger organizations such as Scholarship America’s Dreamkeepers program, while others are sophisticated in-house solutions using predictive data or small local efforts of caring and committed staff. All emergency aid programs seek to help students overcome financial shocks, as sometimes a tank of gas or a grocery store gift card is the lifeline a student needs to remain enrolled.

#RealCollege During the Pandemic: Initial Institutional Responses to Address Basic Needs Insecurity (2020)

The novel coronavirus pandemic is testing institutions of higher education in unprecedented ways,
including challenging their ability to address basic needs insecurity among their students. With
the crisis ongoing as a new academic year begins, it is helpful to examine the response thus far.
The Hope Center developed a pandemic-oriented, institution-based survey that was administered
between April 9 and May 29. The survey yielded responses from 165 institutions in 36 states. The
results reveal:
• The number of students with basic needs insecurity on college campuses is substantial,
regardless of the method used to quantify such students.
• More than two-thirds of institutions said basic needs insecurity was discussed “a lot” or “a
great deal” on their campuses, and community colleges were more likely than four-year
institutions to view basic needs insecurity as a hinderance to degree completion.
• Nine of 10 respondents were looking for additional help to address students’ food and
housing needs, which were already areas of concern prior to the pandemic. And as
nationwide eviction moratoriums began to expire toward the end of summer, evidence
emerged that housing needs were increasing.
• A majority of institutions offered support to students seeking Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and had an active food pantry on campus.
• One hundred and seven institutions offered emergency aid. Three-quarters of those
institutions used online applications for their emergency aid programs, easing one of the
main challenges to effectively dispersing aid. However, institutions continued to struggle
with staffing and publicizing the programs, as well as meeting the increased demand solely
via fundraising.
• One in five institutions required students to complete a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to access emergency aid funds.
• Just three in 10 institutions helped students with basic needs insecurity apply for
unemployment insurance, despite widespread job loss among undergraduates.1