But what are some of the obstacles that prevent degree attainment?
College Students Are Without Food
Pell Grants were introduced in the 1970s as the nation’s flagship program to help low-income students cover their college costs. Back then, the grants covered nearly 75% of the cost of attending a public four-year college. Today, that percentage has dropped to 30. Add to this the fact that two-thirds of all current Pell Grant recipients grew up in families who live below 150% of the federal poverty line.Now, let’s look at our research findings.
Beginning in 2008, we began surveying undergraduates attending public two-year and four-year colleges and universities across Wisconsin – 3,000 students in total. All of the students surveyed received the federal Pell Grant.
When asked if they ever went without eating for an entire day because they lacked enough money for food, 7% of students at two-year colleges and 5% of students at four-year colleges said yes.
Our study focused on students attending public colleges and universities when a recession was getting under way. But our more recent surveys, as well as similar research initiatives in other parts of the country, indicate this situation is not limited to these institutions or that time period alone.
What This Means for America
The ramifications of this situation are dire, and not only for the students who cannot travel the higher education path to the American Dream.When a person makes a trade-off between food and other essential living expenses, such as paying for housing or medical expenses, it is also a sign of food insecurity – inadequate access to nutritious food.
This is not just an issue of unaffordable debt and no degree. The nation’s economy is at risk as well. Consider this:
Enough students start college to meet these goals, but not enough finish.
What Can Be Done
In our testimony, we urged the National Commission on Hunger, as well as government and educational institutions, to align hunger policies with educational policies.For example, students who have grown up in poverty do not suddenly become wealthier when they enroll in college, and grants fall far short of covering their full cost of attendance. Yet the free breakfast and lunch and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that supported them during their elementary and high school years disappear or become difficult to access in college.
Instituting a National School Lunch Program at public colleges and universities – and allowing students to use both financial aid and SNAP to pay for college expenses – will likely help them complete degrees more often and faster.
- aligning SNAP eligibility with need-based financial aid eligibility
- allowing college enrollment to count toward SNAP work requirements
- removing logistical barriers to filing a SNAP application.
Clearly, the true costs of college attendance are greater than anticipated.