Like many other people, college students have faced immense difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of students lost jobs, and this hardship was compounded by the fact that students didn’t qualify for some of the stimulus checks issued
by the federal government. Consequently, more college students have struggled with securing necessities, such as housing and food, all while trying to stay on top of their academics.
In a recent report, the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice assessed some of college students' unmet basic needs that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated.
The report highlights that postsecondary enrollment decreased for the 2020-21 school year, and students who were at higher risk of basic needs insecurity comprised a significant amount of those reduced numbers. Of the students who remained enrolled,
almost 60% experienced some form of basic needs insecurity, 48% experienced housing insecurity, and 14% experienced homelessness.
Additionally, nearly 2 out of 5 students at two-year institutions suffered from food insecurity, and more than 1 out of 4 students experienced food insecurity at four-year institutions. However, only 34% of students applied for emergency aid, and over
half of all students reported that they did not know how to acquire emergency assistance. Undoubtedly, college students require urgent additional support that is easily accessible.
In the report, one student said, “For students like myself who do not have parents to financially support them, during times like these, it is hard to both balance your finances to make ends meet such as rent, bills/utilities, and even the ability to
eat a full day’s meal, let alone a nutritionally balanced meal.”
NCAN members can use the report one-pager (as well as several available state- and college-system-specific one-pagers) in their fundraising and/or advocacy work to illustrate
to potential donors and lawmakers the severe impact COVID-19 is having on college students' academic pursuits and well-being.
The federal government has taken action to address food insecurity among college students. Beginning in January, Congress temporarily expanded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
to students who are eligible for work-study programs and students who have an expected family contribution of $0 for the current academic year, as determined by the FAFSA. NCAN strongly supported this eligibility expansion.
Also, Congress created the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program to help families with limited financial resources acquire internet
and devices. NCAN submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission regarding ways to streamline the broadband program's
application process for students who are Pell Grant recipients.
And while college students who were claimed as dependents were not eligible for early stimulus checks, Congress did include funding to colleges to use for student emergency aid grants in the COVID relief packages.
The SNAP expansion is crucial to reducing food insecurity, the EBB program will help to increase access to technology, and emergency aid grants have helped students weather some of the economic hardship caused by COVID. NCAN urges the federal government
to continue this momentum for other critical focus areas.
Doubling the Pell Grant
Another way lawmakers can help meet the needs of students is to strengthen the Pell Grant program. NCAN members, students, and partners are advocating for double Pell,
which would help close the college affordability gap and drive economic recovery.
NCAN recently joined approximately 1,200 organizations in signing a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to double the maximum Pell
Grant.
The need-based Pell Grant is a vehicle for promoting equity in higher education. Students of color and students from lower-income backgrounds heavily depend on the grant to attain their college-going aspirations, which is all the more reason to double
its current maximum amount.
Considering students’ vigorous advocacy efforts as well as the especially difficult circumstances they have endured over the past year, there is no better time than now for Congress to listen to their voices and double Pell. We’ve made progress, but we
must continue appealing to Congress until we sufficiently fulfill students’ basic needs and ensure they’re able to complete their education without unnecessary complications.
Check out these resources to learn more about #DoublePell, the temporary SNAP expansion, the EBB program, and to stay up-to-date about the government’s response to COVID-19.
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