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Gayle Davis
ENG 3020
17 April, 2017
INTRODUCTION
The problem of poverty is one that is well known, and has been a prevalent topic in both
research, government policy, and volunteerism efforts. We see this problem worldwide, and yet
we still wait for a solution. However, when individuals think of poverty, they often think of the
stereotypical homeless men and women who stand on street corners with signs, soliciting
passerby for money, work, or food, or our minds may wander to struggling families who barely
make it by, living at or beneath the poverty line. A group that many do not immediately think of
when they hear the words homeless or living in poverty is college students. College students
are known to scrape by eating Ramen Noodles and scrounging up loose change in order to go
out, but it is an uncommon thought to think of a University student sleeping in their car, or couch
The state of a students economic situation when entering college is not the only thing
that can cause a student to be living in poverty. It is just as common for a student who is in a
good financial place to fall into the throws of poverty and homelessness. The effects of poverty
on college students could be perceived as a direr problem because the inability to pay for
education can mean dropping out. While the poverty of students at the elementary and high
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school levels is still an issue that negatively impacts many, these students are required by law to
continue attending school. This means that although their education may be impacted by
problems at home, they are still receiving the state mandated, common core curriculum offered
by public schools.
Seeing as I am a college student myself, and completed my service hours required for the
semester with a program that works with homeless and suffering students, I will be focusing my
research on the issue of student poverty at the college level. Specifically, I would like to evaluate
the level of seriousness of the issue of student poverty and homelessness among college students.
In order to determine the seriousness of this problem I will be looking at the stress level, dropout
rates, and nutritional requirements of college students that suffer from homelessness or who are
LITERATURE REVIEW
Poverty can cause problems for students that make it difficult to learn, sometimes
private-, a community college, or a trade school. A majority of students who attend public
schools and universities are considered to be low-income, and many struggle to afford the extra
costs of school supplies, let alone housing, and the proper food needed to maintain a healthy
lifestyle (Rising Costs). While teachers and schools often do what they can to accommodate
these students, it is still a hardship, and students education suffers because of it. The problem of
student poverty is very apparent in the United States and creates an unfair playing field for
competing students.
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Stress. College students of all different economic backgrounds experience immense stress
as a result of their education. Deadlines, papers, and presentations can all attribute to this stress,
so imagine having to deal with all of the normal stressors of a college student, but also adding in
the stress of not knowing where youll be sleeping that evening, or where your next meal will be
coming from. In research done by a professor at Wayne State University, Paul A. Toro,
homelessness was compared to the stress level of youth. His findings showed a clear relationship
between both emotional distress and homelessness and also between stress and homelessness
(Toro). According to Toros research, as time goes on, a homeless individuals stress level
remains relatively constant, however it remains constant at a level that is clearly higher than that
emotional distress level was found to decrease over time, but again, this level still remained
higher than their housed counterpart (Toro). Poverty stricken students often work jobs in addition
to their education in order to try and better their situations. The necessity of working long hours
in order to improve financial situations without a doubt adds additional stress to these students
(Maile). These students are then forced to juggle work along with their studies and already
stressful, uncertain living situations. Large amounts of stress arent healthy for anyone, and can
have negative impacts on a students academic performance. High levels of stress have been
associated with other poor health habits, which then also contribute to poor academic
performance (Hudd). When under high amounts of stress, individuals often make other decisions
that negatively affect their health and mental well-being. These decisions can include adopting
an erratic eating schedule, not getting enough sleep, and can also cause various mental ailments
such as suicidal thoughts (Hudd). When an individuals body is going through this type of
withdrawal from what it needs, the mind is not going to be functioning at its full capacity. Even
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more serious is the type of psychological issues that high amounts of stress can cause, suicide is
clearly a very serious and permanent thing to be thinking about because of the amount of stress
that you are under. Stress is already something that is very prevalent on college campuses, the
added stress of living in poverty, or being out of a home, can be unbearable to some students, and
unhealthy to all.
Dropout rates. Students who find themselves in a situation where they are homeless, or
where they are struggling to pay for lifes necessities may have no other option than to leave
school. Paying for college is a tremendous financial responsibility to take on, so when it comes
to the choice between a degree and a roof over ones head, it isnt uncommon for the roof to be
the choice. Amongst college dropouts in the United States, 60% had no assistance from their
parents in paying for tuition (Beckstead). The commitment to paying for a college education,
especially at such a young age with little to no assets, is clearly a large enough source of stress
that 60% of students were unable to handle it. However, students do not necessarily have to be
on their own paying for college in order for it to be enough of a problem that dropping out is the
only option. Many families who do decide to support their children financially in going to school
are unable to offer enough monetary support, and students again are faced with the possibility of
dropping out. According to a study done amongst students who had dropped out of higher
education, 70% of these students were in the category low economic status (Maile). The
relationship between economic status and dropout rates has been consistent with these findings.
When students dropout, it is not only a clear problem for them, seeing as they dont finish their
degrees, but it also costs the institutions money. In America, our dropout rates are much higher
than other countries worldwide. These high rates contribute to the problems we so commonly
hear about, such as rising tuition. With fewer and fewer students finishing their degrees, state
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resources are spread thin amongst the many students, which then drives up the cost of college
tuition (Weissmann). College dropouts rarely make more than individuals who did attain a
degree. With a smaller income than initially expected, college dropouts often are unable to pay
back their student loans. This then negatively affects taxpayers and other future students who
hope to take out loans in order to finance their education (Weissmann). The inability for students
to finance their higher educations has not only a negative effect on them, themselves, but also the
American environment for attaining aid in financing for ones continued education.
immediately of body image when they hear the previous sentence, but nutrition is also a vital
part of your mental health as well. Without the proper vitamins and nutrients from your diet, your
brain will not be able to function properly (Leyse-Wallace). Lack of proper nutrition can not only
have a negative effect on student learning, but also on a students general well-being. Food banks
have been popping up on college campuses across the country, seeking to provide the necessary
nutrition for students as a part of the epidemic that is food insecurity. Individuals who suffer
from food insecurity are described as people who lack access to enough food for an active,
healthy lifestyle (Saul). Students who are suffering financially have been known to cut out
spending on food before they will cut spending on other things such as books or housing. A study
was recently done by the Wisconsin Hope Lab, which focused on Pell Grant recipients because
of the large proportion of them who live at or below the poverty line. This study found that 71%
of Pell recipients have changed their eating habits as a result of what they could afford, 27%
reported eating less than they should, and 7% reported going an entire day without food because
of their inability to afford it (Data, and brief). The lack of proper nutrition can have a negative
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impact on student performance, as well as provide another source of stress for struggling college
students.
METHODS
experience as well as the help of a fellow college students in order to find my interviewees.
These interviews consisted of open-ended questions that were tailored for each interviewee. For
example, a student that I interviewed about student poverty was asked much different questions
than an employee of the HIGH program was asked. I also had to be careful to make sure that my
questions were in no way too invasive or offensive when interviewing a student who had
experience with this topic. I was not as successful as I had hoped to be in the collection of my
information. Due to privacy policies at the HIGH program, the identities of the students that they
provide aid to are kept extremely private, and as a result I had to search high and low for students
to interview, this is where the assistance of fellow college students came into play. Although
students identities at the HIGH program are extremely sensitive, I was able to interview the
manager of the program, Laura Bismack. While this exchange was easy and convenient, finding
the students to interview proved to be much more difficult than I was expecting. I was directed
towards Oakland Community College, where I was able to locate one student who had suffered
with housing issues, and they agreed to an interview so long as their responses remained
anonymous. This was the only student that has had experience with my topic that I was able to
find for an interview. Through my work as a HIGH program volunteer I also gathered
information from students who suffered with student poverty and homelessness, through
anonymous testimonials. I also tried reaching out to the first lady of the university, Jaqueline
Wilson, the founder of the HIGH program, but as one would expect, shes very busy, and was
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unable to sit for an interview. Mrs. Wilson did however look over Mrs. Bismacks responses to
my questions and approve them before I was able to use them in my research. I also conducted
an interview with a representative from The W Food Bank, a recently established food bank on
campus that provides different food and toiletry items to students in need.
Setting. The interviews were conducted in two different ways. My interview with Laura
had to be done by sending her a list of my questions and allotting her a few days time to get
back to me with her responses. Laura, as mentioned earlier, had to also send her responses to
Mrs. Wilson to get approval, because she was speaking on behalf on the HIGH program. So in a
way I also got Mrs. Wilsons input. The times that I volunteered didnt allow for me to sit down
with Laura because of conflicting schedules, so the written response method proved to be most
efficient for this particular situation. My interview with the anonymous student, who we will
refer to as Student A, was conducted in person, at a Starbucks coffee shop. This interview was
not recorded for privacy purposes, instead notes were taken during the interview. This student
was eager to help, excited to share their story in a meaningful way. My time spent at the HIGH
program provided me with insight into the issue of student homelessness and poverty. During my
time volunteering for the program I helped to create a newsletter, which featured personal
testimonials of students who had received aid from the program. Through helping with this task I
had the opportunity to read through several different anonymous student testimonials about how
the HIGH program has affected them, and how student poverty or homelessness had also taken a
toll on them before receiving help. I looked at these as another great source of information about
the topic, seeing as I couldnt directly interview any of the students due to the privacy policies in
place. A select group of these testimonials can be found on the HIGH programs website,
however there is a much larger collection of them that have not been published to the website
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which were made available to me as a volunteer. My interview with The W Food Pantry was a
last minute addition to my collected research. The W Food Pantry is located on campus, beneath
the Towers dormitories. The Food Bank was started just this year, and has officially opened for
business. It was because of my last minute decision to try and collect information from a
representative of the food bank that I was forced to send the questions again, over email. With
such a small window of time, a meeting was not possible, this proved to be the most efficient,
logical method.
Participants. The interviewees for my project offered great information and viewpoints
into the problem of student poverty. Laura Bismack, the first interviewee, serves as Mrs.
Wilsons secretary, and coordinates many of the things that happen at the HIGH program. Laura
assigns tasks to volunteers, schedules meetings, and directs projects for the program. Laura
agreed to being interviewed, but warned me that her responses would have to be approved by
Mrs. Wilson, and that there was also a possibility that her responses would have to be looked at
by another professor studying student poverty, Paul Toro, before she returned them back to me.
While she looked at this as an inconvenience to the timeline of my project, I saw it as beneficial
that I would be getting so many different, knowledgeable, viewpoints on the questions before
using them for my project. I found Student A by asking friends and acquaintances that are also
attending college if they knew of anyone who had suffered from homelessness or poverty as a
student. I was directed towards Student A, and when approached, they agreed to an interview so
long as their privacy was a top priority. This student had a story to share about their past, and is
now in a much better financial place. This student is currently enrolled at Oakland Community
College, attending classes full time in hopes of receiving their associates degree. The student
testimonials, which are kept completely anonymous by the HIGH program, offered me with an
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array of different students who had experienced some sort of problem with either homelessness
or poverty as a student. These students had all sought help from the HIGH program, and received
it seeing as they were writing testimonials. The students who had written these testimonials came
from all different backgrounds, and were all in various stages of their lives. The interview that I
conducted with The W Food Bank also proved to provide me again with another insight into
student poverty and homelessness. A representative from the program was very kind and
understanding of my time constraints, getting back with me in a timely manner. The W Food
Bank is a member of Gleaners Food Bank, a well-known, reputable food bank in the Detroit
community.
RESULTS
The results of this study have provided me with a broad array of different information
research, while focused on investigating my three criterion, also exposed me to other effects that
poverty can have on students. The factors of stress, dropout rates, and nutrition were all
commonly brought up when discussing the negative effects of student poverty. Through
interviewing and researching people who hold various points of view on the issue, I have found
that there is a general consensus on these effects and what they mean to a students ability to
Through my interview with Laura Bismack, which focused on the effects of student
poverty on the students who are suffering financially. I was exposed to additional ideas about
how living in poverty can negatively impact a students ability to succeed in their education.
Laura brought to my attention that while suffering from the negative impacts of stress that
student poverty can put on an individual, it may be difficult to form healthy relationships
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(Personal Interview, Laura). With a lack of sleep, a hungry stomach, and an abundance of stress,
forming and fostering healthy relationships does not become a priority. The absence of these
healthy relationships, whether it be with fellow students or with faculty, causes these students to
miss out on a support system that would be especially beneficial in their lives while they
navigate through the struggles of student poverty (Personal Interview, Laura). With this lack of
socialization students suffer. Loneliness and depression can become very possible, adding to the
Student A, who has successfully beaten student poverty, and who is now on their way to
attaining their associates degree from Oakland Community College, offered a point of view that
was very beneficial to my research. Having the opportunity to interview someone who has
criterion. Student A fell into poverty when they were forced out of their home upon their
graduation from high school, going to school was the route that Student A decided to take,
working part-time in order to pay for an apartment (Personal Interview, Student A). When
Student A lost their job, rent became a huge struggle to be paid, and dropping out of school
When asked about the impact that this time of economic turmoil had on their day-to-day
life, Student A responded that I had to make some hard decisions about where to spend my time
and money, (Personal Interview, Student A). While Student A did not lose their apartment
during their time of need, they were faced with difficult decisions about where to cut spending.
For Student A, one particular cut back was that of their grocery bill, making cheaper choices and
also fewer choices (Personal Interview, Student A). I was excited when I found this direct
connection between a personal experience and one of my criterion. Student A also discussed the
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immense amount of stress that they were under during this time, reciting to me all of the physical
ailments that came along with it including, breakouts, weight loss, and the inability to sleep
The student testimonials that I was able to read through during my time at the HIGH
program also validated my criteria for what makes student homelessness and poverty a serious
problem. The testimonials were written by students who were all in very different situations, but
experiencing the same negative effects of poverty. The testimonials ranged from students fresh
out of high school struggling to support themselves financially, to students who were much older
and had just gone through divorce or had lost their jobs. One thing that several of the
testimonials had in common was that these students often faced the possibility of having to drop
The W Food Bank offered me with an interesting point of view when it came to my
criteria of nutrition. With a direct link between students and the food that they needed, the food
bank on campus saw firsthand the effects of food insecurity. The W Food Bank allows students
who are suffering financially to come in and get the groceries that they need for no cost. Food
insecurity on college campuses has become a pressing problem over recent years, and similar
food banks to the W have been started across the country (Personal Interview, The W). The
creation of these food banks recognizes the problem of student poverty, and works to divert some
of the negative effects on students. The availability of food to students in need could be the
difference of going to class on an empty stomach, or taking an exam after studying while
listening to a grumbling stomach. These conditions are not ideal for maximum retention of
information, student learning suffers when students are hungry (Personal Interview, The W).
DISCUSSION
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Significance of Findings. My initial goal in conducting the interviews and research that I
did about student poverty was to evaluate how serious the problem was. I used the factors of
stress, dropout rates, and nutrition as my criteria to judge the extent of the issue. Before
beginning this project, I was amongst the majority of people, who, when asked about the
problem of poverty or homelessness, did not think of the college student population as one of the
large demographics affected by the problem. The amount of stress that college students are under
can seem overwhelming at times, but many of these students do not also have to deal with the
uncertainty that living in poverty entails. The added stress of this living situation infringes on a
students ability to focus their full efforts on school, as well as takes a toll on a students health,
both mental and physical. Students who are living in poverty, as seen by the HIGH program, can
often find themselves in this situation because they lack a support system (Personal Interview,
Laura). The lack of a support system is another huge source of stress for students, seeing as they
have no one to turn to in their times of need, this also negatively affects students mental health.
In our advancing world, we are seeing that more and more, a college degree is becoming the
norm, and required for many jobs. While it is completely possible to get a job without a college
degree, there is much higher competition for better paying jobs, and a college degree can be the
difference between being the hired candidate, or being sent on the job search once again. This
emphasis on the importance of a college degree in the workforce is important to consider when
analyzing the seriousness of student poverty because this problem can play a part in barring
students from graduating, and thus hurting them when theyre competing for jobs. Another
negative effect of student poverty is food insecurity. When a student is unsure of where their next
meal will come from, or changes their eating habits because of their financial situation, they are
experiencing food insecurity (Personal Interview, The W). Studies have shown that when a
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student goes hungry, they perform worse than they would have otherwise. The availability of
food in places like The W Food Pantry is a step in the right direction, however, many students
shy away from visiting food banks like these because theyre embarrassed of their situations
(Personal Interview, The W). Impoverished students often make the choice of paying for
education before they decide to pay for food, in the long run, this negatively affects their learning
Limitations of Study. While I do see many positive aspects of the study that I conducted,
I also know that there were places where there could have been improvement. One of the main
barriers that I faced when trying to collect my data was that of privacy. The HIGH program, and
Student A were both very serious about privacy and I had to be very careful to respect these
wishes. The HIGH programs privacy policy proved to be more difficult to maneuver around
than Student As privacy wishes. The HIGH program could have opened the door to countless
student interviews with students who had beaten student poverty. While I did have several
different points of view, I think that it would have been beneficial to the validity of my
evaluation of the problem of student poverty if I had several student interviews about personal
experiences with attending college while living in poverty. Another limitation that I faced was
that of time. It wasnt until midweek the week prior to this paper being due that I had decided to
make nutrition one of the criteria for analyzing the seriousness of the problem of student
poverty and homelessness. It is because of this late realization that my interview with The W
Food Bank was so rushed. If I had more time to conduct this interview I would have been able to
gather better questions, and schedule a time to conduct the interview in person so that I could use
Questions for Further Study: Seeing as I came to the realization of the topic for my study much
later than would have been preferred, I did struggle with a few time constraints. If I were to
continue with this study, I would like to do add a few aspects. One of the things that I would add
to the study would be a larger group of student interviews about their experience with student
poverty and the impacts it had on their education. I feel as if my sample size of one student,
while it does offer great insight, does not do the issue of student poverty justice. Another aspect
that I would like to add to the study if I were to take it further would be an anonymous survey
that I would send out to my classmates about student poverty. I would include in this survey both
questions about the perceptions of student poverty and also questions about if students had
experienced any situations of poverty or homelessness at the college level. This would then have
the potential to add to my sample of students who have gone through the hardships of student
poverty.
CONCLUSION
My findings opened my eyes to the various problems that go along with student poverty.
Being nave, the only main problem that I associated with student poverty was the inability to
finance an education. However, through the research that I conducted, I have discovered that
there are many other impacts that living in poverty has on students. Among the many effects
student poverty and homelessness can have on college students are that of stress, increased
dropout rates, and proper nutrition. These are the three criteria that I focused on through my
research in order to help me to determine the seriousness of the problem. The effects of student
poverty are all very interrelated, and I found that it is uncommon to see one of the effects without
the others. Often times, one effect can cause another, or vice versa. However, the main,
underlying cause for all of these effects is student poverty. Through my research I have learned a
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lot about these different effects and their impacts on a students education. First, I have learned
about all of the different ways that stress can effect an individuals body and mind. The added
stress of living in poverty is a big one, and so the stress levels of students who are living in
poverty are visibly higher than your average student. Living with these levels of stress is
unhealthy, and has even been known to lead students to thoughts of suicide. Second, I learned
about the impact that dropout rates have not only on the students who are dropping out, but also
on the institution that is being left, and the entire system for borrowing money. I hadnt realized
that by dropping out of school, a student can cost university thousands of dollars, and have a
negative impact on how money is borrowed for future students who are trying to finance their
educations. Lastly, I learned about food insecurity, and about how it is a problem that is sweeping
the nation. Having access to enough, nutritional, food is very important to a students success.
Eating enough and eating healthy can contribute to a students learning by having positive effects
on an individuals attention span and ability to retain information. The information that I
gathered on my three criterion proved to be extensive and helpful in analyzing the seriousness of
the problem of student poverty and homelessness. I have learned that this issue is a bigger one
than I had initially thought, and after conducting my research, I believe that it is a problem that
deserves more attention than it is receiving currently. The issue of student poverty is not an issue
that is isolated to college campuses, this issue leaks out into society, impacting several others
than just the impoverished students. It is because of this widespread impact, and detrimental
health effects on students living in poverty that I would classify student poverty and
Works Cited
Communications, Wayne State University Web. "Dean of Students Office." The W Food
Pantry - Dean of Students Office - Wayne State University. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Data, and Brief. What Were Learning: Food and Housing Insecurity among College
Hudd, Suzanne S. "Stress at College: Effects on Health Habits, Health Status, and Self-
Leyse-Wallace, Ruth. Nutrition and Mental Health. Boca Raton, FL: CRC, 2013. Print.
Maile, Simeone. "Education and Poverty Reduction Strategies." Imip.org. N.p., n.d. Web.
13 Apr. 2017.
"Rising Costs + Greater Student Poverty = Empty Backpacks." Targeted News ServiceJul
Saul, Stephanie. "Food Pantries Address a Growing Hunger Problem at Colleges." The
New York Times. The New York Times, 22 June 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
University." Wayne State High Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.
Toro, Paul A. "Preventing Youth Gun Violence: What We Know and Still Need to Know."
Weissmann, Jordan. "Americas Awful College Dropout Rates, in Four Charts." Slate