The homeless rate among college students is on the rise nationwide but Blacks constitute about 63 percent of the displaced population. PHOTO COURTESY OF CSSH.NORTHEASTERN.EDU

MIAMI – The homeless rate among college students is on the rise nationwide but Blacks constitute about 63 percent of the displaced population, according to a survey released by the Hope Center.

The organization is an action research center which focuses on transforming higher education into a more effective, equitable and impactful sector.

The Hope Center released the latest findings on the homeless population among college students in September 2023 and suggested a disparity between Black and white two-year and four-year college students.

While the overwhelming majority- 63 percent, of homeless college students are Black, approximately 26 percent are Hispanics, 7 percent whites and other races stand at 4 percent.

The homeless rate for students increased by 7 percent from 2022 and the Black population of homeless students have risen since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Some college students worry about getting low grades, paying for next semester’s tuition and which part-time job to get. Others also worry about these things and more, such as where they are going to sleep," said Hope Center Executive Director Al Abdukadirov.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Florida is No. 4 with 107,643 of homeless college students in 2023 behind California with 235,983, New York with 118,435 and 113,063 in Texas.

In Florida, college students indicated they don’t have a fixed place to live because of the affordable housing shortage, loss of jobs, low paying jobs and their parents’ incomes are below the poverty threshold.

According to the Hope Center, some programs help students find affordable housing but the increasing rental rates in Florida, California and New York and low paying jobs make it difficult for students to find fixed places to stay.

Most of the college homeless population in Florida live in shelters, abandoned homes and buildings with no electricity and water, cars, park benches and homemade tents.

One local Black college student who didn’t want to give her name because her peers don’t know she’s homeless, said she and her relatives sleep at a shelter because they can no longer afford the rental rates.

The Florida International University student with a 3.2 GPA said they once lived in an apartment in Miami but the rent skyrocketed to $2,300 a month for the two bedroom, one bathroom apartment.

"Being homeless is sad," she said. "When you are a student, you don’t have a quiet place to study."

The sophomore who’s studying to be an engineer said she and her family are thinking about moving to another state where they can afford rent.

Frank Williams, another homeless Black college student, said he lives from one place to another including at several friends’ homes in Miami.

The sophomore student who is studying marketing at Miami-Dade College said sometimes he sleeps in the park. "It’s tough when you don’t have a place to go on your own," said Williams, who does odd jobs to earn money.

Williams said after his mother lost her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she moved to Georgia, but he wanted to stay in Miami to finish school despite being homeless.

"I have strong faith that things will work out for me," he said. "I just need to finish school."

The National Alliance to End Homelessness released a new analysis this year suggesting Blacks are more likely than Whites to be homeless including college students.

Nationally, the rate of homelessness per 10,000 African Americans is 4.7 times higher than it is for Whites.

For Black parents earning at the average household median income which is $61,777 a year in Florida, sending their children to college can be "very" expensive, especially for those who are not on scholarships.

With the stress of being homeless, some students get discouraged when they lack financial assistance to continue to pursue their degrees and drop out of college.

Florida International University is tackling the issue with the school’s Fostering Panther Pride program, which offers counseling, book stipends, good grade stipends and additional support.

In addition, the President’s Council is offering additional scholarship funding and runs a food pantry program exclusively for students in the program.

FIU students in need can also access other funding sources, such as Pell Grants and First Generation Scholarships.

Broward College offers similar aid through its Seahawk Outreach Services program and Florida Atlantic University’s Educate Tomorrow program helps students who experience homelessness to increase their chances at graduating with a degree.

Broward County State Representative Marie Woodson said she’s making the homeless college students population one of her top priorities in Tallahassee.

She first discovered the problem when she saw a homeless Broward County College student sleeping in his car.

Woodson contacted former President Gregory Haile who told her the problem is growing and FIU was experiencing the same plight.

Over 173 students at Broward College and 123 FIU students applied for state law tuition waivers for students who are homeless and are exempt from paying tuition and fees at public universities and colleges.

“I’m so passionate about this because here are kids who have not had a break in life … and yet they want to better themselves — they are in college and getting an education,” Woodson said. “We need to come together and make sure that we give those kids a break. They are not responsible for the issues that either mom or dad had in life.”