The overlooked struggles of San Mateo County’s community college students 

In the increasingly expensive San Francisco Bay Area, SMCCCD students work relentlessly to complete their classes while balancing familial responsibilities and long work hours to meet their basic needs. I repeatedly witnessed even the most determined students leave school and their aspirations behind for their day-to-day survival.

Later, as a case manager, I intervened and assisted very few of these SMCCCD students with immediate food and housing needs. In our conversations, they frequently voiced needing awareness about resources and their eligibility. Due to their busy schedules, students found it challenging to come to the CSA for an assessment. We, higher education professionals, can assist more students in meeting their basic needs by ensuring easy access to resource information and establishing a streamlined process for receiving assistance between the community college and CSA.

According to findings from the recently published report, “Real College California: Basic Needs Among California Community Colleges,” two of every three California CC students face at least one basic needs insecurity. Nearly half face food insecurity, and 3 in 5 are housing insecure. Scholar-activist Sara Goldrick-Rab further notes that basic needs insecurities are highest among Black, indigenous, LGBTQ+ and students of color.

While free community college for county residents has increased access for students from first-generation low-income backgrounds, the question remains: Is SMCCCD providing adequate support to help these students complete their education?

The presence of basic needs insecurity significantly compromises community college students’ chances of persisting and graduating. Students with hunger or housing problems will not perform to their fullest potential. At the CSA, a student experiencing eviction mentioned dropping classes due to the anxiety and effort involved in stabilizing their housing. Another student, flustered upon learning they failed midterms, considered dropping as they reflected on how irregular nutrition affected their energy levels, causing suffering in their sleep and physical health. SMCCCD must prepare to provide high support for students, understanding that food and housing security are vital for their growth and learning.

Due to insufficient resources at community colleges, providing high support can involve incorporating a basic needs statement on each syllabus to raise student awareness of services and establishing partnerships with community organizations like the CSA to facilitate prioritizing students’ access to emergency food and housing support.

The district must raise the awareness of what basic needs insecurity means for its students and provide educational workshops and a local resource library for all employees. We must actively discuss basic needs insecurity with more than just counselors or faculty, as students often remain silent to avoid stigma or only confide in someone they trust. Everyone, including front-line staff interacting with students daily, such as librarians and maintenance workers, must participate in this conversation and be well-versed in the resources available.

Recognizing the prevalence of basic needs insecurity among community college students validates their experiences as whole individuals beyond the confines of academia. Establishing a direct communication channel between the college and CSA conveys SMCCCD’s confidence in students’ capacity to learn and achieve their goals with proper and immediate support. When students genuinely perceive that both in-class and out-of-class support fosters their academic and personal growth, they will be empowered to reach their full potential.

Students with basic needs insecurity often feel marginalized by their additional needs. By shifting attention to the importance of these students’ needs, SMCCCD shows them they matter. If SMCCCD doesn’t provide this critical support, it will contribute to further “othering” students, which contradicts their goal of fostering a sense of belonging among the entire student body.

We must not take for granted that today’s SMCCCD students know of resources or how to navigate accessing them. In addition to stigma, the complex bureaucratic processes for aid further isolates these students. Establishing a CSA partnership and ensuring all staff deeply understand local resources is immensely meaningful for the persistence of students who require encouragement and a trusted guide.

SMCCCD students are incredibly resilient, and our responsibility is to prioritize their humanity and place their basic needs at the center of holistic success.

Cesar Valentin is a master’s student at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Skyline College alumni born and raised in San Bruno. He can be reached at cesarvalentin@gse.harvard.edu.