NATIONAL STORY PHOTO BY NATHAN DUMLAO ON UNSPLASH THE KNIGHTS FOR NUTRITION PANTRY RECEIVES ITS DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY. PHOTO COURTESY OF INSP.NGO U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS BATTLE BASIC NEEDS INSECURITY BY JILL SHAUGHNESSY Three in five college students in the United States faced problems like housing insecurity or hunger in 2020. Despite their effort to receive a higher education, many students are neglected by their institutions and the government in terms of basic needs. Strides are being made across the U.S. by students and nonprofits to combat these issues. THE STORY OF THE “STRUGGLING COLLEGE STUDENT” is perpetuated in the United States. It may bring to mind the idea of subsisting on a diet of Ramen noodles or couch surfing for a semester. The example of a hungry, poor college student has been made out to be a common rite of passage. It’s considered almost normal to “struggle” during those crazy, college years. A demographic often overlooked in terms of hunger and homelessness is college-aged citizens and those enrolled in college. In some cases, these problems arise because parent support stops when entering college, while others have experienced hunger or housing insecurity prior. Some college students may find themselves financially unprepared to meet their basic needs after paying for tuition. Beyond that, universities are often ill-equipped to help these students. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened this. In 2020, when many schools were forced to hold only virtual classes, some students had to scramble for accommodation. While many students find themselves back with their parents, others just don’t have the option. Those who used to rely on university meal plans may no longer have this accessible food resource. The Hope Center is a nonprofit aiming to assist colleges and universities with research and resources about food and housing insecurity. Their study surveying over 38,000 college students found 3 in 5 students were experiencing basic needs insecurity. Food insecurity affected 44% of students at two-year colleges and 38% at four-year institutions. 15% of the students surveyed who attended 4-year colleges were experiencing homelessness due to the pandemic. Maya is a 21-year-old college student who currently attends Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Maya struggled with food insecurity before going to college. As a high school student, she relied on her mother’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly referred to as food stamps, to supplement her family. When she entered university, she was no longer receiving any government benefits nor financial support from her mother. Maya was used to working 40 hours a week to help support herself, her sisters, and her mother. Once entering college, this all changed. “I think a lot of people think college at a four-year university is a luxury, but it shouldn’t be,” she says. “When I was living with my mom, she couldn’t really help me, I was helping her. Since parents can’t always step in, the government should be the helping hand because we are just starting off on our own”. Maya recalls a time when she was not able to make ends meet for the semester. She was denied a loan and couldn’t figure out how to continue to take all of her classes and pay for groceries. She sat down with her roommates and they looked at her budget. She had bills to pay and was unable to manage everything. Her roommates offered to pay for her food for the term. “They had the resources, and they were kind enough to help. But I just don’t want to rely on anybody else. It’s not their responsibility to take care of me,” she says emotionally. Existing challenges have been only compounded by the pandemic in the past year. For example, Maya received the stimulus check from the United States government which helped her during the pandemic, but other students were excluded from this relief bill. The first 2 rounds of stimulus checks did not grant college-aged dependents the benefits. The term ‘dependent’ refers to an adult that is still claimed on their parent’s taxes. It is often not the choice of the student. The government ignored dependents; despite the fact the group was hit hard by the pandemic. With dining halls shut down and student housing paused, the stimulus check would have gone far for many students. Many schools have been trying to fix these problems and make sure their students can meet their basic needs. At Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, this meant allowing housing-insecure students to continue living on campus while the majority of the school was shut down. In addition, they are helping students by offering a free food service, called Knight’s for Nutrition Food Pantry, to supplement their food needs. The Knight Pantry was to combat the obstacle of college hunger. There are no started before the pandemic 6 DENVER VOICE April 2021
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