I STIDhTLIH
SUPREME SACRDICE v
Homeless students see degree as hex to future
T whu h hr iui kctl al ihr t« « >tiul! st.ulmrn
s
I
£
■
*
■
i
Kara Beach, with her ton. Dane, struggles to earn a college degree and a secure future.
Carol Bntnor doesn't have room
male problems She doesn't have
to haggle with a landlord about
lenl \lid vhr doe Mil have to
hue parking hassles
Bin then Hrunor. a Mudrnt at Oregon
Stair 1 . (lorin'l have a house rilhri
She’s homeless
And she’s not alone
Homeless i ollege students ai ross the
country are sleeping in lampus buildings
or shimlwi mg in their i ais Itei ause dies
< an t afford a plai e lo live
Although the nunilier of homeless stu
dents is likrlv small, and dies won't appeal
on a census re|>ort, the rn ession appears
to have mi leased the numbers ol students
vsho regard a tool over then brails to lie a
luxury they < an t afford.
Jobs lo help pay for college-related
rx|>rnsrs air harder lo find when unem
ployment is high Kurd willi budget mis at
the stale level, many public universities
have Inked tuition drastically And finan
i tal aid < .nil es ir|x >rt increased tiemanil fi >r
finam lal aid, esjx-i tally from students who
are unemployed and returning to college
to get a degr ee To some, tuition and rent
are Ix-toming an “ritber-or" proposition
In Florida, the problem seems more
acute During the winter the homeless
population increases as people move in
from out-ol-state.
But ill 1991. C.arrie Meek, now a con
gresswoman from Florida, sponsored an
amendment that exempts homeless stu
dents enrolled ill adult basil or job
preparatory education from paving fees
for instruction. The amendment passed.
" 1 he problem is worse here, but we re
more aware of it," savs (ieorge Young, su e
president for Student Affairs at Broward
('ommunitv ( ollrge in Florida
hoi hiunoc, K was tin second iiv at
graduating from Oregon Stair ITiirtv two
vrais was a long timr t«> Ik- out of v bool
Shr saved some money for tuition, and
she- thought shr could get a part time job
to take* tare of food and housing And
mavbr shr < ould grt finam tal aid
But shr didn’t find a good job, and sfir
wasn't eligible foi financial aid When het
money ran out, shr slept at the library. cafe*
teruor the Native American long Home
"Most of us air aware that having a col
lege degree gets 11s a !x*ttrt job," Brunoe
sa\s " some j>eople are determined to
t hange then lives "
whit h hr }>af kr*<I at ihr *mull stadium
When thr weather m»t told. Mrrrall »t
tit k and had t«> go t<» thr Mudrni health
center Ihr housing dim tor Irt him sia\
in a dormitory lot two weeks and pav lot
hr* stav later * Hum oiuimiintv nerds to Im*
a ware that thrrr air people who air less
fortunate," Mrtt.dl sav* Ihr levs form
ii.itr j nerd rieopk* to dim t them
Mmall should finish 111* degree I repute
mrnt* within a vrai 'I'm going to Ik hi a
{MKMtlon where* lutii alls I t an wi itr inv own
tit krt \t least in rnv view. it *s worth it," hr
uvs “ Hu* is what lilr dealt mr, and guess
what ' K ill not going to Im* a « r\hah\ and
give in l have the skill* to get out of this
OSI s President |ohn livi nr *a\s hi* uni
vriMtv is not set up to help homeless Mil
drills “ I hats not to sav thrir air no
homeless stude nts,” hr suss Tin suir
thrrr air some- who, foi tinam lal irawmv
live m thru mu k.v"
Somr universities, howrvri. take a inoir
active rolr in helping thr homeless
Suffolk l m Boston is 111 its thiol seal of
administering a scholarship ptogiam lot
thr homeless students " 1 hr program is
working fair l> well.” sav s ( hi is Pet i s.
dim tor of Kinam tal Aid
But the kind of help Suffolk give* to it*
home It*** students is not available at most
universities Student* like- Alan, a Stanford
l senior, made his 1*JH<» I oyota his home
for a \eai lie fxiughi a $r>0 Stanford park
trig prrinii and vised $0,000 in flouting
Arnold. a student at (hr l of ( alifornia.
li>* Angrlrs. slept in his f ord Probe to save
time, money and thr inconvenience of
traveling hac k and forth to his home
Although these two students « hoar to 1**
homelrxs, using c osts of tuition are making
those* choices more prevalent for the many
students who must depend on lit unit ral aid
Kara Heath hope* a college degree will
help her a< hievr her dreams as well.
Beach. 20, lias a S-vrar old son, Dane
htunoe was strapped for (asli during fall
1991 and spring 1992. "Hall thr liar I gol
ineompietes because I didn’t have enough
money to bus books ot notepaper," she
uu Her frientfs (sought food al die caic
teria, ate vime and then said dies weren't
hungry anymore. * Iliev werr trying to
save my pride." she vavs.
She could not ailord to rent a place. v>
she staved on campus after tfie buildings
closed al 9 p.m. "You see. what you <lo is
hule until everybody is gone and then crawl
in somewhere amigo to sleep." she savs
Among favored hangouts of homeless
students are libraries .uul student lounges,
which stav open late. Some students,
tlmugh. make do with wtiatrvcr's available
fal Meirall slept in his ear (fairing die tall of
1991. Merrall. a senior m fish and wildlife
science at OSl', lived in Ins 1977 Scout,
Stir lives m an apartment provided In llir
Volunteers of Ament a in Spokane Bui
(nr four or five months in 199!. Bea< h
bounced arounrl lietwcen tin mother's
home and those of friends
"1 rorne lroin a dvxfum iioiial fainitv." she
savs There was a lot of stress at home "
After getting a GKO. stie enrolled in
September 1991 at Spokane falls
(aimmunilv Caillege An fnglisti major.
I feat h gets hy with grants ,m(| fmam lal
aid She is doing well in college, her gr ade
|m nut aserage [waking at 'VH
Being homelevs lirought on an array of
problems. Beai h spent day* wondering
where she would sleep next. Beach’s hard
times are not over. Strrvs remains in her life,
even though she lias a plarr to sleep now
"I'm not reads homeless." she vox. Tin
misplaced." U
UTDMwnmry, U. of Texas, Dallas
Tell About You!
WIN A FREE
ROUND TRIP
FOR TWO
TO EUROPE
AND $1,000
OR A SONY CD
MINIDISC
RECORDER/
PLAYER
(WE RE GIVING AWAY 5)
PLUS
THE FIRST 750 ENTRIES
WILL WIN A
“HOT SHOTS PART DEUX"
HAT
FROM 20TH CENTURY FOX
YOUR ODDS OF WINNING
ONE OF THE BIG PRIZES
ARE GREAT - IF YOU
FIND AN ENTRY FORM IN
U.'s MAY ISSUE
(hily 1.5% of l '.'.i May issues Hill
include the entry form along
with a reader opinion survey.
ITie survey and entry form will
Ik* in a sjh*< ial envelope on the
May Campus Comments page.
EVERYONE WHO SENDS IN
THE COMPLETED SURVEY
BY JUNE 50:
•Will receive a free gift (The
first 750 entries win the
“Hot Shots” hat),
AND
•Is eligible to win the trip
for two to Europe (or the
Caribbean, or Hawaii - win
ners choice) and $1,000
cash, or a Sony CD Mini
Disc.
Winners will be selected in a
drawing and will Ik* notified by
July 15.
SO FIND A COPY OF U.
WITH THE READER OPINION
SURVEY, FILL IT OUT AND
MAIL IT IN (FAST)!
NO POSTAGE NEEDED.
IN U. s MAY ISSUE
ON CAMPUS APRIL 26