Community college students report struggles with food and housing security

Madison Rexroat

According to a report by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, a significant number of community college students struggle with hunger and homelessness.

The survey, which observed 33,000 students across 70 community colleges in the U.S., found that nearly two-thirds of students are “food insecure” and around half of those students are also “housing insecure.” That means that those students have uncertain living situations and even more have limited access to nutritious foods.

Furthermore, nearly 14 percent of community college students were found to be homeless with less reliable work schedules in major-unrelated fields and less likelihood to earn a living wage.

This is all despite the accessibility and affordability of community college. Even with financial aid, some students must pay a significant portion of their income to attend school, which often leads to them dropping out.

To read the full report in The Atlantic, click here.