Hunger and Homelessness Can Be Hidden Costs of Higher Education

The rising cost of college has been at the heart of conversations about higher education, but now colleges and universities are beginning to take note of other, more hidden costs that many students face: hunger and homelessness. A new report has found that about half of CUNY students have struggled recently with food or housing insecurity, and food pantries are becoming an increasingly common facet of life at SUNY campuses across the state.

However, surveys and studies taken in recent years suggest that the struggle to stay housed and fed can be particularly hard for community college students — especially older ones who may also be figuring out how to attend classes full time while taking care of family. Dr. Michael Baston, the president of Rockland Community College, a division of SUNY, has led efforts at his campus to integrate outreach efforts into the day-to-day goings-on of the school's administration in a push to lessen the stigma around hunger and homelessness.

"All of the rules and regulations of the college are in the syllabus, so we put in our syllabus," Baston told WNYC's Sean Carlson. "We have tried to partner the connection center with our clothing closets, we embed screenings in our financial aid process so they just become a natural part of the regular aspects of the college administration."

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