The costs of a college education has been steadily rising each year for many years now, and many students and their families find it more and more difficult to afford the tuition, room and board and the meal plans offered by colleges.  Even students who choose to live off campus find it difficult to pay for their ever increasing living costs.  Homelessness and hunger are a growing problem for many college students, but some colleges are doing what they can do to help.

One such institution is San Diego Mesa College, located in Clairemont Mesa, which has taken considerable steps towards helping its financially struggling students.  On February 9, 2017, Mesa College formally launched The Stand, which is dedicated to providing students in need with necessities such as food, clothing and toiletries. Located on the second floor of the campus’s Student Services Center, the Stand is open to students from low-income families and those who have failed to qualify for financial aid, as both situations tend to leave students struggling financially.  The Stand has so far been well received by the college’s community, which is understandable considering the ever increasing need of Mesa’s students.

A school-wide study conducted by the Mesa College’s administration two years ago revealed some shocking statistics.  Roughly 39% of the school’s study body, consisting of over 23,000 students, claimed to have difficulty in paying for their everyday meals. Of that 39%:

• 15% described themselves as having a “tremendous amount” of difficulty when it came to paying for meals;
• 27% had not been able to make their complete rent or mortgage payments during the previous year alone;
• 1.3% confessed to staying in a shelter; and
• 8% were currently residing in another form of temporary housing.  

The nearby institutions of City College and Miramar College produced surveys with similar results.

These numbers are shocking, and Mesa College is to be commended for its efforts to help students who are in such dire straits.  Dr. Pamela T. Luster, President of Mesa College states:  “Food insecurity impacts students every day, and we will now be able to help our students stay focused on their academic journey.”

In addition to food and toiletries, the Stand also comes equipped with clothing items that one might wear to a job interview, career fair, or other professional networking event, in the hope that it will increase students’ success in the professional world.  As far as payment goes, the Stand operates on a credit point system, with students allotted a certain number of points to use each week.

The Stand gladly accepts donations of foods that can be prepared easily and formal clothing items for both women and men.