"It's Like a Mountain": The Lived Experience of Homeless College Students
Session Abstract
What are homeless students' experiences of college? This session presents the findings of a phenomenological study that explored that question. The findings will be connected to learning and motivation theory and the presenter and attendees will engage in dialogue about the implications of this study for students, colleges, and society.
Target Audience
This session reports upon a research study that focused on the experiences of homeless college students. Therefore, anyone interested in the experiences of marginalized college students and their needs should attend this session. Also, conference attendees who are interested in social justice, income inequality and its manifestation within the college system, and barriers to learning will find this study of interest. Finally, those who conduct or are learning about qualitative research, specifically phenomenology, may enjoy discussing the method of this study.
Session Description
Can students learn and find fulfillment when they are homeless? This session explores those questions by reporting on a phenomenological study, the purpose of which was to describe the experience of homeless students in college. Little research has been conducted on/with homeless college students, and this study sheds light on what it is like to be one of these students. This session will share the structure and findings of the study, connect those findings to learning and motivation theory, and engage attendees in dialogue around the implications of these findings for homeless college students and the colleges that serve them. Study findings indicated that the participants lived in a world of homelessness that they could never fully ignore. All participants saw college as a way to escape homelessness in the short- and long-term. However, study findings suggest that homeless college students experience physical, emotional, and interpersonal challenges that hinder their ability to perform in school even though they are motivated to attain a college degree that they think will enable them to escape homelessness and find a job that will provide stability and security.