Episode 138: College Students Deserve to Have Their Basic Needs Met
About the Podcast
Paula Umaña is Director of Institutional Engagement at The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, at Temple University. She and her team work tirelessly to create systemic change and empower universities and communities to ensure that all college students get everything they need to succeed.
About Paula Umaña
Passionate about social justice, Paula Umaña has devoted her career to empowering organizations and individuals to reach their highest potential. She has implemented numerous initiatives to promote educational, antipoverty, capacity building, and leadership development enterprises. Her commitment to creating systemic change, empowering communities, and working across divides, have gained her nationwide recognition.
Umaña launched the first Hispanic Capacity Building Institute in Philadelphia, led programming for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Center for Progressive Leadership, and provided leadership and managed teams for the Transitional Work Corporation, promoting workforce development and self-sufficiency in urban communities. Most recently, she spent six years establishing and overseeing the operation of Single Stop at Community College of Philadelphia. Under her leadership, this national anti-poverty, multi-service model that seeks to increase college student retention, was demonstrably successful at boosting students’ academic success, according to a rigorous external evaluation conducted by Metis and Associates.
Paula currently serves as the Director of Institutional Engagement at the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University where she leads efforts and partnerships focused on translating the Center’s research into policy and practice. Her efforts support higher education institutions around the country to increase organizational effectiveness in securing students’ basic needs building black to their wellbeing and college success strategy. She holds a Master of Education degree from Temple University and is a native of Bogotá, Colombia where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in dietetics and nutrition from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.
Discussion Takeaways
- Paula Umaña is the Director of Institutional Transformation at The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. Prior to joining her team, she spent six years establishing and directing the Single Stop program at Community College of Philadelphia. That national anti-poverty, multi-service model to increase college student retention was demonstrably successful at boosting students’ academic success, according to a rigorous external evaluation. Paula also launched the first Hispanic Capacity Building Institute in Philadelphia, led programming for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Center for Progressive Leadership, and provided leadership and managed day-to-day operations for the Transitional Work Corporation, promoting workforce development and self-sufficiency in urban communities of Philadelphia.
- The goal of the Hope Center is to rethink education and social policy practices to create opportunities for all students to attain degrees and credentials. Through education, policy advising, capacity building and technical assistance, this nonprofit provides education, training and research services to advance the issue of basic needs security so all students can focus on learning, succeeding, and achieving their highest potential.
- The Center are a part of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, but it functions as a nonprofit.
- When someone is experiencing prolonged hunger, they are likely struggling to attain other basic needs too.
- Paula sees basic needs security as a structural characteristic, not an individual characteristic of students. People shouldn’t feel guilty for experiencing the lack of resources. This is the fault of an ecosystem that doesn’t ensure that students have the resources in place they need for success.
- The economics of college doesn’t make sense for many people. College students now have to pick up 60-75% of the bill.
- The Hope Center is a research center that not only produces the national research, but they also provide technical assistance for colleges, advocates, and foundations and other institutions who want to implement on the results.
- In their last basic needs survey at the college level, the Hope Center interviewed over 200 students in 42 different states. They found that 3 in 5 students suffered from some sort of major basic need insecurity. 39% in two-year institutions and 29% in four-year institutions experience food insecurity. 48% were affected by housing insecurity in these institutions. 75% of the students did not ask, apply, or look into any kind support to get out of their circumstance. Many survey takers thought these resources were for others who were worse off. Paula has used this kind data with large foundations, state and local policymakers, and to advise the Biden-Harris administration about meeting the basic needs of our collegiate students.
- Not being able to pay college tuition is one of the biggest shortfalls that is linked to basic needs insecurity. That’s why college affordability should be front and center. School is an incredible investment because when students have the credentials, they fuel our workforce and we can move society forward. But how can we make this resource more accessible to all?
- Ensuring that every college student’s basic needs are met is an anti-poverty, social impact, and economic development issue.
- If an eighteen-year-old has a Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of zero, they do not contribute to their family’s income. That’s makes them more likely to qualify for food stamps. They also could work for the federal work study program which allows them to be more likely to get food stamps. Additionally, if they need medical assistance, this also increases eligibility for food stamps. If a student is 22 and still lives with their grandmother or extended family, they can still be eligible as their own household for food stamps. College students must be taking 3 credits per semester, and if they work, 4 weeks of paystubs might be required for food stamps.
- Advocates that support this cause can tell their elected officials that getting rid of stringent student work requirement would truly help them get the benefits they need. Childcare supports, stronger student-housing assistance, and pushing for the child tax credit would too. Improving students physical and mental abilities by investing in on and off campus resources and connecting students to public supports are alternative ideas.
- If students have the scarcity mindset, meaning they’re constantly living without their basic needs met, they’re not going to be able to prioritize or know where to go for help.
- We can’t assume that opening up a food pantry causes hunger to go away. It is one step in the larger picture. Places like a food pantry should be a one-stop-shop used to connect them with emergency aid, assist with benefits screening, empower them to learn about other resources, and more.
- Not all states have a “Hunger-Free College Campus” designation. This label is one step to gain funding or implement programming. The Hope Center has a dashboard of research and data that will help campus’ go even further and set their students up to success. Additionally, Paula encourages colleges to interview their students so institutions can meet people they are at.
#1 tip to improve access to healthy food
- The change that needs to happen in the world is broader than just one bucket like increasing food access. Everyone in our society deserves to have all their basic needs met whether we’re speaking about access, equity, education, food, housing, and more.
Each week on the Food Dignity® Podcast, the Food Dignity® Movement's Clancy Harrison hosts a wide variety of hunger experts and other people making changes on the frontlines. Join us as we dive deep into conversations that will change the way you think about food insecurity.
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