Document Category: Research study (not in a journal)

#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

The True Costs of College (2020)

A book based on a project co-lead by Nancy Kendall and Sara Goldrick-Rab with support from the William T. Grant Foundation.
Systematically examines all key areas of the costs of college; Creates a framework for analyzing college cost impact on student well-being, thus supporting direct policy intervention; Includes data drawn from 18 months of ethnographic research in Wisconsin

Too Distressed to Learn? Mental Health Among Community College Students (2016)

A new study at 10 community colleges across the nation reveals that half of
the more than 4,000 community college students surveyed are experiencing
a current or recent mental health condition. Less than half of these students
are receiving any mental health services. Students age 25 and younger are
especially likely to have an untreated mental health condition. As mental
illness can impair academic success and quality of life, there is a clear
need for greater attention to and resources for mental health services and
programs on community college campuses.

A First Look at the Impacts of the College Housing Assistance Program at Tacoma Community College (2021)

Affording living expenses presents a major barrier to degree completion for many community college students. Food, affordable housing, transportation, and childcare are central conditions for learning. Yet with stagnant incomes, rising tuition and living costs, and insufficient support from financial aid and the social safety net, approximately one in two community college students struggle to afford these basic needs.1 Additionally, as many as one in five experience homelessness.2 The College Housing Assistance Program (CHAP), operated by the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Tacoma Community College (TCC), is at the forefront of the nationwide fight to ameliorate homelessness among college students.3 CHAP is one of the country’s first partnerships between a housing authority and a community college and offers a unique model. In contrast to other programs such as student-run shelters, rapid-rehousing, and college-owned affordable apartments, CHAP utilizes government-subsidized housing assistance to provide housing to homeless and near-homeless community college students. This report offers the initial lessons learned from the first external evaluation of CHAP. Successful program implementation is crucial to providing benefits for students, and can be especially challenging in housing programs. We therefore focus on how students experienced the program, where they faced barriers, and where they found support. It is too early in the evaluation process to draw conclusions about the program’s efficacy; these are short-term insights.

Houston Food Scholarship Program Report (2020)

This report describes program implementation and impact of one of the nation’s first food
scholarship programs: the Houston Food Scholarship (HFS), a partnership between Houston
Community College and the Houston Food Bank. The food scholarship was first distributed in
January 2018, and this report examines its early stages, as well as rigorously estimating impacts
through spring 2019.

Campus Food Pantries: Insights from a National Survey (2018)

• This is the first-ever national survey of campus food pantries,
with 262 participating institutions, 217 of which currently
operate pantries.
• Most campus pantries have a designated space on campus,
serve exclusively the on-campus community, and are run by
staff, students, and faculty.
• Very few campus pantries have sizable budgets, but most
employ some paid staff, often undergraduate or graduate
students, and volunteers provide additional support.
• Awareness of campus pantries may be limited because
common outreach strategies are informal, but barriers to
support are low—just 5% of campus pantries require proof
of financial need.
• The most common challenges faced by camp