The Cost of Early Independence: Unmet Material Needs Among College Students With Homelessness or Foster Care Histories

Abstract

Qualitative interview data were used to explore the experiences of college students with foster care or homelessness experiences. Participants, with an average age of 21 years, included 18 female and nine male students with a history of homelessness or foster care enrolled in several independent 4-year colleges in one Southeastern state. Participants were recruited through a flyer that was distributed via an email message to individuals and organizations who worked with prospective participants. The qualitative data were collected over the course of an academic year from several in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach to identify key themes: getting by on their own, meeting material needs requires agency, and the Catch-22 of managing academic and material needs. Findings suggest that many of the students in the study experienced a fragile and seemingly unsustainable balance between meeting material needs and academic demands. The current financial aid model, which relies on significant contributions from parents, was insufficient for most students in the study. Results support the need for interventions that improve the ability of students with foster care and homelessness histories to manage their material and academic needs as college students.