Basic Needs Insecurity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. A #RealCollegeHBCU Report

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35

ECMC Foundation
Annie E. Casey Foundation

Black Colleges; Educational Needs; Student Needs; African American Students; College Students; COVID-19; Pandemics; Equal Education; Educational Equity (Finance); Security (Psychology); Health; Well Being; Student Personnel Services; Federal Programs; Nutrition; Welfare Services; Employment; Hunger

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established primarily in the post-Civil War era to meet the educational needs of Black Americans. They provide pathways to upward social mobility and have a long-standing commitment to promoting both academic success and students' health and well-being. But persistent funding inequities at both the state and federal level actively undermine those commitments and leave the sector particularly vulnerable during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This report examines how students at HBCUs are faring, and to what extent are their basic needs supported so that they can focus on learning and attain degrees? It uses data from the #RealCollege Survey to examine the overlapping pandemic-related and basic needs challenges affecting students attending HBCUs during fall 2020. In total, nearly 5,000 students from 14 public and private HBCUs responded to the survey for a response rate of 8.3% and shared their experiences. Topics covered include: (1) impacts of the pandemic on students' health and employment; (2) students' basic needs security; (3) utilization of public and campus supports, including emergency aid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and (4) recommendations for federal and state policymakers. [This report is a collaboration with the Center for the Study of Historically Black Colleges and Universities at Virginia Union University.]

ERIC

2022

ED620138