RVCC Resource Center
The hidden crisis on college campuses, including ours: Many students don’t have enough to eat!
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How to reach us
If you are in need of any information or resources, or have questions/requests regarding the emergency fund please reach out to:
We will
do our best to respond in a timely manner.
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**ATTENTION**
The latest Federal Coronavirus Relief Legislation expands SNAP eligibility for college students during the public health emergency. Specifically, students approved by the community college to participate in federal or state work-study, even if the students are not actively participating in the work-study, are now eligible to apply, as are students that have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 for the current academic year, which is calculated in the students’ FAFSA.
Visit https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/njsnap/students/eligibility/
Please see the full information on our
Emergency COVID-19 Resources page.
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Students who have children may be eligible for childcare subsidies while they work and/or are in school. DHS’ Childcare website includes the application for students to apply for the subsidy, as well as a directory of participating childcare centers and a list of which childcare centers are open during the pandemic. That website is: https://www.childcarenj.gov/
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Hunger is a condition now common for many students at colleges and universities in the United States. According to an April 2018 study by researchers at Temple University and
The HOPE Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University, 36 percent of students at 66 surveyed colleges and universities do not get enough to eat, and a similar number lack a secure place to live.
The report, which is the first to
include students from two-year, four-year, private, and public universities, also included students at my community college, RVCC.
Here’s what the data show,
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Food Insecurity |
30% |
44% |
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Housing Insecurity |
32% |
47% |
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Homelessness |
9.5% |
12% |
In the last year, about 10 % of RVCC students surveyed experienced some form of homelessness, 32% were housing insecure, and 30% had low or very low food security.
Among those who responded, 46% of students at RVCC experienced at least one of these forms of basic needs insecurity in the past year.
About 4.2% experienced all three forms of basic needs insecurity.
Purpose
The mission of the Resource Center program is to bring together both primary and secondary resource supports in order to empower under-resourced as well as resourced student participants. The project is a unique initiative that combines education and relationship building for students who lack available financial, personal, and support system resources to succeed in college. Its intent is to build collaboration among a variety of community resources to help alleviate the many barriers that serve to prevent low-income and underserved students from achieving their educational goals.