A 2018 national survey found that over a third of university students out of over 20,000 surveyed said they were food insecure, or had had limited or uncertain access to food in the previous 30 days. And 36 percent of those students said they were housing insecure in the last year. About three-quarters of colleges and other postsecondary schools offer some kind of help.
By ANNA HELHOSKI, NerdWallet
College students without a financial safety net are in a tough spot when unexpected costs arise.
"The chances their parents can pick up the bill are not as high," says Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and founder of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, a research center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "It's not for lack of families wanting to; they don't have it."
A 2018 national survey led by Goldrick-Rab found that over a third of university students out of over 20,000 surveyed said they were food insecure, or had had limited or uncertain access to food in the previous 30 days. And 36 percent of those students said they were housing insecure in the last year, which means they had trouble paying housing bills or had to move frequently.
Recognizing that a financial crisis can force a student to withdraw from classes, about three-quarters of colleges and other postsecondary schools offer some kind of help, according to a 2016 survey of emergency college aid programs by the professional association NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Programs include loans and small cash grants, dining hall vouchers and food pantries, and scholarships to complete a semester.
The impact can be significant. "We found that if you can alleviate their need in one place, it's going to free up their finances to support other things like tuition, books, housing or rent," says Stan Jackson, director of student affairs communications and marketing initiatives at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.
Here are resources for students who need emergency help. Depending on your school's policy, you may have to provide documentation of your financial need.
EMERGENCY FINANCIAL HELP
Go to your school's financial aid or student affairs office to ask about emergency programs, which could include grants, completion scholarships, emergency loans or vouchers. Usually this money can pay for tuition, housing, books, supplies and transportation.
For example, at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, assistance is available for students who face emergencies such as losing their job, eviction or utility shut-off. The fund has provided students with over $78,000 in grants and loans since 2014, according to Dave Murray, a school spokesperson.
EMERGENCY FOOD
If you don't have consistent access to food, contact your school's student affairs office to learn about programs such as food vouchers, scholarships, free meal plans, access to SNAP benefits and food pantries.
At the University of Georgia, where Jackson says 10 percent of the population is affected by food insecurity, students can apply for yearlong food scholarships that award meal plans. T here's also a campus food pantry.
Food pantries usually stock nonperishable foods, but some may also have fresh food and items such as cleaning supplies and hygiene products, says Clare Cady, co-founder and director of the College and University Food Bank Alliance, which has 626 member schools.
The food pantry at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, provides about 20,000 meals per semester, says Nicole Hindes, assistant director of the university's human services resource center. Hindes says free dining hall vouchers are the most heavily utilized program.
"They can spend time studying with their friends and not feel out of place meeting at the dining hall," Hindes says. "The food pantry is more cost-effective, but the food assistance program is one that students like and resonates with them."
URGENT HOUSING
Few schools have emergency housing, and options are often limited.
"There really isn't a good housing solution," says Daphne Hernandez, a University of Houston researcher who is conducting a study of food scholarship effectiveness at Houston Community Colleges. "Four walls and a roof is a little more difficult than food."
Find out from your school's housing or student affairs office if there is an on-campus emergency residency program. Some schools set aside dorm rooms. The office of student affairs at your school may also point to off-campus housing solutions including short-term sublets, apartments, youth shelters or room shares.
FINANCIAL AID
Emergency college aid programs tend to be short-term fixes that aren't intended to replace federal aid. Be sure to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, each year. You may need to appeal if you don't receive enough aid or an unexpected situation arises, such as unemployment, medical expenses or the death of a caregiver.
To appeal your aid offer, even midyear, contact your school's financial aid office. Be prepared to:
— Detail your circumstances.
— Ask the office to reconsider your aid award.
— Provide any documentation to support your claim.
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This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet.
RELATED LINKS:
NerdWallet: NerdWallet's FAFSA Guide
https://nerd.me/fafsa-guide
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