Food, Internet, and Shelter: What Emergency Services Did Community College Students Prioritize during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Although emergency aid programs have existed on community college campuses for years, no extant research has articulated which emergency resources students apply for and how students prioritize these resources against others (e.g., food needs compared to housing needs). To better understand student emergency aid needs shortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, this study reports on 333 community college students' self-assessed emergency needs from March 26, 2020, until October 2, 2020. Results suggest that community college students self-reported the highest need for utility payment assistance, with food being the lowest need. However, correlations were highest among housing and utility assistance, suggesting many community college students simultaneously struggled with housing and utility payments, amplifying their financial burden and stress. Strengthening the body of literature on postsecondary emergency aid, this study concludes with implications for college student emergency services, higher education case management, and emergency aid policies.