In fall 2018, nearly 22,000 students (approximately 9 percent of the student population) at 19 City University of New York (CUNY) campuses took part in a survey administered by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. The #RealCollege survey report issued this week shows that approximately 48 percent of the students have gone hungry within one month prior to taking the survey, 55 percent have been without a secure place to live in the past year and 14 percent were homeless at some point in the previous year. These insecurities undermine academic success.
Insecurity issues are higher for African-American students, LGBTQ students, veterans, former foster youth and students who’ve engaged with the criminal justice system, says experts.
Dr. Vanessa Coca, senior research associate for the Hope Center and one of the authors of the report, said what makes this survey particularly valuable is the sheer size and diversity within the CUNY system.
“With the size you’re going to get more information on students who are in these often marginalized groups that you don’t get in other surveys,” said Coca. “We can get a lot of information about those students who are often ignored in these types of surveys.”
Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab
“It’s important to not only know how many students are dealing with these challenges, but what their experiences are like,” said Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, founder of the Hope Center and a professor at Temple University who co-authored the report.
