Public institutions, although more affordable, have increased as well, from an average $3,190 in 2007–2008 to an average $9,970 today. Stacked on top of basic fees are the rising costs of textbooks, transportation, and living expenses, and the average four-year budget is $25,000–$50,000. For some families, the numbers just don’t add up. College enrollment over- all has decreased by 9 percent since 2011, according to the National Stu- dent Clearinghouse. For others, taking on more student debt for a longer time period is the answer (student debt has increased by 33 percent in the last five years, according to the New York Federal Reserve). Homeless in Hiding B ut there are some students for whom the decision to get their education is made at all costs. Food and housing security might wind up on the “luxury item” side of budgets. And with campus libraries open late, a classmate who has an empty couch on a cold night, and showers available at the athletics center, the issue of student homeless- ness largely goes unnoticed. Since 2008, studies conducted by a partnership of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab and Temple University have taken a look at the trends of home- lessness and hunger among college students. In 2018, this group of researchers found that 36 percent of college students reported food inse- curity. Another 36 percent reported housing insecurity, and 9 percent reported being homeless altogether. These same researchers also dis- covered that for the approximately 12 million community college students nationwide, challenges of living and studying are often greater. Homeless- ness is even more prevalent among community colleges—in a March 2017 survey of 33,000 students across 70 community colleges in the U.S., two-thirds of the students reported being food insecure, and 14 percent—more than 10,000— identified as being homeless. And while community college is often seen as the cheaper alternative for higher education, the cost of room and board actually may lead to a more expensive budget. Community college students also tend to work more hours and have more family responsibilities on top of going to school. Additionally, these studies showed that 49 percent of community college students show symptoms of one or more mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. Sara Goldrick-Rab, professor of higher-education policy and sociol- ogy at Temple University, and founder of the Wisconsin HOPE Lab, argues that much of the social services sup- port that low-income families receive is not available when students enter college. With only 13 percent of students living on college campuses, many students struggle to find afford- able housing and often underestimate the costs of living. “[The issues of food or housing insecurity] are rendered largely invisi- ble by the inability to quantify them. Test scores and grades do not tell these stories. Nor do indicators like the percentage of undergraduates who hail from low-income families or receive financial aid…. Students are the only people who really know what is happening,” she says. In her book Paying the Price, Golbrick-Rab shares one student’s silent struggle with homelessness: 34 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MAY/JUNE 2019 Homelessness is even more prevalent among community colleges— in a March 2017 survey of 33,000 students across 70 community colleges in the U.S., two­thirds of the students reported being food insecure, and 14 percent—more than 10,000—identified as being homeless.