Jun 28, 2022Delivering Emergency Aid During the PandemicBy: Traci Kirtley (she/her), Believe in Students — In February 2020, the novel coronavirus began making its way into the US, creating one of the most dramatic and widespread emergencies of my lifetime. …Emergency Aid5 min readEmergency Aid5 min read
May 17, 2022Committed to Beating the 3% — for Myself and Other Foster YouthBy: Melvin Roy (he/him), Old Dominion University — Editor’s note: A previous version of this post said 4% of foster youth successfully graduate college and has been corrected to 3%. So much has happened since I’ve started here at ODU which is why it is important that I share as much of my experience with you for you…Student Voice4 min readStudent Voice4 min read
May 12, 2022Limiting student debt relief based on income is a terrible idea and a technological disaster in the making.By: Bryce McKibben (he/him); The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice — In response to demands from voters, young people, and those struggling under the weight of student debt, President Biden has acknowledged that his Administration is seriously considering fulfilling a campaign promise to cancel student debt for millions of Americans through executive action. …Higher Education6 min readHigher Education6 min read
May 3, 2022The Majority of College Students Need Emergency Aid. Their Professors Can Help, FastBy: Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers and Traci Kirtley, Believe in Students — Jan Manla, a 23-year-old nursing student at Los Angeles Valley College, was Zooming with her school counselor this summer when the counselor noticed she was sweating, fanning herself, and hyperventilating. Manla was using her closet as a study, closing the door for privacy while her husband watched their four-year-old son…Real College4 min readReal College4 min read
Apr 12, 2022Believe in Me, #RealCollege!By: Victoria Rocha (she/her/hers), Fresno City College — I have had a long journey through life, one that is characterized by bad choices and former incarceration. Along with this was my battle against a meth addiction. Although these choices were made, I was able to find a way through education to change the course of my life. The…Real College4 min readReal College4 min read
Dec 14, 2021When Government and Colleges Come Up Short Meeting Student Needs, Faculty Unions Step UpBy: Michael Rosen & Charlie Dee, MATC Local 212 FAST Fund — This was originally posted in the Wisconsin Examiner and requested to be shared here as well. Where can students turn for help with basic survival needs when their colleges and government programs fail them in a crisis? …Emergency Aid6 min readEmergency Aid6 min read
Nov 16, 2021The Straw that Broke the #RealCollege Student’s Back: Flames, Fatigue, and the Power of GenerosityBy: Sarah Griffin (she/her), University of Montana — Although I concede that everyone’s life is unique, those who know me well would agree that my upbringing was a little extraordinary. I belong to an average middle class family, the mother of which was a nurse at the local hospital, the father of which was a contractor, and the…Student Voice7 min readStudent Voice7 min read
Nov 9, 2021Why You Aren’t Hiring the Employees You WantBy: Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab and Joshua Rudolph; The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice — Talks of a labor shortage started around May of 2021. If you’re looking to hire, especially for middle-skills positions, you’ve likely spent some time looking. But people are looking for jobs. If companies are looking to hire, and people are looking for jobs, why aren’t people getting hired? Let’s talk…Real College5 min readReal College5 min read
Oct 26, 2021Another Gift from COVID-19By: Lily Johnson (she/her/hers), Boston University — I didn’t used to have depression. The universe gifted it to me as a side effect of the global pandemic of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The feelings of constant fatigue and melancholy were very unfamiliar to me as they began to overwhelm my perspective in late April of 2020. …Student Voice9 min readStudent Voice9 min read
Oct 19, 2021Sometimes a Little Nudge Goes a Long WayBy: Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab and Joshua Rudolph; The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice — In our 2021 #RealCollege report, we at The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice find disparities between the number of students with basic needs insecurity, and the number of students that use basic needs supports. Some demographics show up to a thirty-seven-point difference. …Basic Needs4 min readBasic Needs4 min read
