Getting a Dorm is Like Russian Roulette
An Analysis of State Tuition Waivers for College Students Experiencing Homelessness in the U.S.
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22425951 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Matthew Patterson (0000-0002-9484-8410, Florida Atlantic University, corresponding author), Kaila Witkowski (0000-0001-6548-9431, Florida Atlantic University), Danielle Groton (0000-0001-6471-8626, Florida Atlantic University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-06 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Public Affairs Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1523-6803 • E-ISSN: 2328-9643 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15236803261456935 |
| OpenAlex | W7167472475 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 51 |
State tuition waivers waive undergraduate college tuition for students who have a documented history of being housing insecure. However, there is a limited understanding on the effectiveness of state tuition waivers from the users’ perspective and how they can support students while attending college. To fill this gap, we partnered with five students at a public university in Florida to visually document their experiences attending college while utilizing the tuition waiver. Findings highlight the gaps between policy intent and impact, underscoring the need for support that extends beyond tuition relief. This study contributes to the public affairs education by offering insights directly from student consumers and actionable recommendations on how public institutions can better support housing-insecure students to ensure they reach graduation.
Higher education · Public policy · Public support · Public university · State government · Higher Education Research Studies · Homelessness and Social Issues · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
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| Highly cited | No |
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