Document Category: Topic Reviews/ Summaries

Food Insecurity and Higher Education: A Review of Literature and Resources (2023)

Research finds food insecurity to be a barrier to postsecondary access and student success. Compared to the general population, college students experience food insecurity at higher rates. Underrepresented, first-generation, non-traditional, and low-income students have food-insecurity rates ranging from 33–51% compared to 10% among U.S. adults.

The factors contributing to food insecurity at institutions of higher education are complex, such as the increased cost of higher education, the limited usage of and eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the social stigma associated with being food insecure, the location of an institution within a food desert, and the institutional setting (a two-year or four-year college). Other barriers linked with food insecurity include ineffective meal plan policies for residential students, limited transportation to and from campus, and whether students come from food-insecure backgrounds. Irrespective of cause, food insecurity negatively impacts college access, retention, and completion. The need to understand the factors contributing to food insecurity and the effective interventions used to mitigate food insecurity are essential to achieving THEC’s mission to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential and THEC’s Master Plan goals relative to student success and family prosperity. This comprehensive literature review conducted sought to answer the following questions.

What does the literature say about food insecurity in higher education and its effects on students and institutions?

What solutions and best practices does existing literature suggest to address food insecurity in higher education?

How are postsecondary institutions in Tennessee addressing food insecurity among students?

Addressing Social Determinants of Mental Health to Improve College Access, Retention, and Completion (2023)

Addressing non-medical factors that adversely impact mental health, wellness, and academic persistence is important to increasing access to college for vulnerable college students. This systematic review synthesized 63 articles on interventions to address college students SDOMH (social determinants of mental health) challenges. Researchers found that SDOMH themes were addressed in intervention studies at different rates, specifically, healthcare access and quality (n = 27; 42.3%), education access and quality (n = 24; 37.5%), social and community context (n = 11; 17.4%), economic stability (n = 3; 4.7%), and neighborhood and built environment (n = 1; 1.6%). Implications for higher education stakeholders conclude the article.

“I can’t learn when I’m hungry”: Responding to U.S. college student basic needs insecurity in pedagogy and practice (2023)

Food insecurity and other basic needs insecurities were pressing concerns for U.S. college students prior to the COVID-19 crisis and are even more so now. These issues disproportionately impact minoritized students, making addressing basic needs an issue of educational equity. As feminist teacher-scholars, we reflect in this essay on what it means to teach in the context of student basic needs insecurities, drawing on our experiences from launching an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to combatting food insecurity on our campus. In doing so, we seek to catalyze changes within and beyond the classroom to better support students.

How Community Colleges Can Support Student Mental Health Needs (2023)

Community colleges in the study have expanded their mental health support programs through integrating them in the broader college environment.
While community colleges in this study offered multiple levels of mental health supports, most lack a clear organizing framework.
Community college leadership should consider explicitly supporting prioritization of student mental health—and broad staff buy-in is important. Community colleges struggle to meet students’ mental health needs because of limited resources. Financial support for student mental health should extend beyond high school.

#RealCollege: The Work and Activism of Sara Goldrick-Rab (2023)

“In the film Hungry to Learn Sara Goldrick-Rab appears wearing a
“#RealCollege” t-shirt. On the back of the shirt is written “it’s not ALL
about Harvard,” referring to the work of the #RealCollege movement in
breaking down stereotypes of the privileged college student in order to reveal
the reality of what college is like for a growing number of students from
poor, working-class, and middle-class backgrounds. Today’s college students
are, increasingly, not the stereotype of a carefree college student but instead
struggling to make it through school while juggling financial and familial
responsibilities. Goldrick-Rab’s work has not only uncovered this important
reality but works to draw attention to it in order to create change.”

Book Chapter from “The Future of American Higher Education: How Today’s Public Intellectuals Frame the Debate”
Edited By Joseph L. DeVitis

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community College Student Housing Insecurity (2015)

PD&R Expert Convenings: Summary Report.

On September 16, 2015, HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) convened a panel of education and housing experts
to shed light on the topic of housing insecurity among community college students. The convening featured brief presentations by experts
in the field followed by participant discussion. The goals of the convening were to reach a common understanding of the scope and
nature of students’ challenges, identify effective strategies, and discuss the potential role of the federal government in addressing student
housing insecurity.