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Updated on January 8, 2024
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Why It’s Important
In 2020, the Hope Center surveyed1 over 195,000 college students, and nearly 3 in 5 reported facing some form of basic needs insecurity that year. Housing insecurity impacted nearly half (48%) of all students surveyed, and 14% of students experienced homelessness.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened food and housing insecurity for many people, the Hope Center found similar data in student surveys prior to 2020. In 2019, the organization found2 that 46% of the 167,000 students surveyed were housing insecure, and 17% experienced homelessness in the previous year.
There are many systemic reasons why students may experience food and housing insecurity, including the increasingly high cost of college.3 However, some language perpetuates the misconception that people experiencing these challenges are at fault and that a person’s socioeconomic status reflects their overall worth. Conscious language can help destigmatize economic issues.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened food and housing insecurity for many people, the Hope Center found similar data in student surveys prior to 2020. In 2019, the organization found2 that 46% of the 167,000 students surveyed were housing insecure, and 17% experienced homelessness in the previous year.
There are many systemic reasons why students may experience food and housing insecurity, including the increasingly high cost of college.3 However, some language perpetuates the misconception that people experiencing these challenges are at fault and that a person’s socioeconomic status reflects their overall worth. Conscious language can help destigmatize economic issues.
Basic Needs Security and Homelessness
Although definitions of homelessness and food and housing insecurity vary across different organizations and governmental agencies, keep the following general guidance in mind when discussing these complex issues:
- Avoid language that treats food or housing insecurity as permanent. Many students experience these issues temporarily.
- Contextualize food and housing insecurity whenever possible and appropriate. This is a widespread problem facing many students in the U.S., not a purely individual set of concerns.
- Don’t use language that indicates that the student is to blame for their housing and/or food insecurity.
- In general, stick to person-first language when discussing homelessness.
- Also consider using “shelterless,” “unhoused,” or “houseless” instead of “homeless” to avoid the stigma associated with the word “homeless.”4
| Don’t Use | Do Use |
|---|---|
| homeless students, the homeless | students currently experiencing homelessness, students without permanent housing |
| the homeless problem | homelessness |
| Don’t Use |
|---|
| homeless students, the homeless |
| the homeless problem |
| Do Use |
|---|
| students currently experiencing homelessness, students without permanent housing |
| homelessness |
Inclusivity
One of the best ways to introduce conscious language around socioeconomic issues into your vocabulary is to use language that is inclusive of many different economic situations and backgrounds. For example:
- Avoid using the term “affordable” based on your own biases. Instead, get specific about associated costs or cost ranges.
- Similarly, what counts as a “high” or “low” salary is subjective; consider relating salaries to the national median instead of making general statements like “X jobs offer high salaries.”
- Be conscious of advice — like “hire a tutor” — that might apply only to those with the means to pay for that service. Try to include options, resources, or services that don’t cost a lot of money.
- If promoting an event, meeting, or club that involves a fee, include the cost in all announcements, as well as information about available fee waivers or sliding scale payment options.
- Consider including information about low-cost transit options when appropriate.
- Don’t assume all students have abundant free time. Students may balance work and school or be caregivers.
- Don’t assume all students have easy access to the internet. Be mindful of the “digital divide,”5 unequal access to computers and the internet due to economic and geographic barriers.
Socioeconomic Status Terminology
Language around socioeconomic status can sometimes be vague or confusing. Terms like “middle class,”6 for example, may mean different things to different people, depending on their own backgrounds and perspectives, and are constantly changing. It’s best to be as specific as possible when talking about income, class, and the culture surrounding both.
While the best language to use when referring to socioeconomic status is always evolving, the following chart lists some current best practices.
| Don’t Use | Use Caution | Do Use |
|---|---|---|
| vulnerable This term can be offensive as a general descriptor applied to a large group of people as it de-emphasizes their agency. It also lacks specificity. | Pell-eligible, Pell recipients Avoid using this term as a euphemism for low-income; since Pell Grant eligibility depends on citizenship status, using this term to mean “low-income” excludes undocumented students. | low-income student “Low-income” is generally acceptable as a descriptor. |
| poor, impoverished These terms can be offensive to some people. However, as always, respect someone’s individual right to self-identify however they wish. | students from low-income backgrounds Avoid using this when you mean “currently low-income,” since a student’s socioeconomic background and current income are not necessarily the same. Use “low-income” instead. | under-resourced “Under-resourced” is acceptable when describing resource disparities among social groups. In the context of higher education, this often includes low-income students, first-generation college students, undocumented students, and students of color. |
| underrepresented This term may be acceptable depending on the context. As always, aim to be as specific as possible and avoid generalizing about broad groups of people. | historically excluded Consider using this term when appropriate, especially as a replacement for “underrepresented.” | |
| underserved Only use in regards to actual service disparities or inequities, not as a general umbrella term for those with low incomes. | null |
| Don’t Use |
|---|
| vulnerable This term can be offensive as a general descriptor applied to a large group of people as it de-emphasizes their agency. It also lacks specificity. |
| poor, impoverished These terms can be offensive to some people. However, as always, respect someone’s individual right to self-identify however they wish. |
| Use Caution |
|---|
| Pell-eligible, Pell recipients Avoid using this term as a euphemism for low-income; since Pell Grant eligibility depends on citizenship status, using this term to mean “low-income” excludes undocumented students. |
| students from low-income backgrounds Avoid using this when you mean “currently low-income,” since a student’s socioeconomic background and current income are not necessarily the same. Use “low-income” instead. |
| underrepresented This term may be acceptable depending on the context. As always, aim to be as specific as possible and avoid generalizing about broad groups of people. |
| underserved Only use in regards to actual service disparities or inequities, not as a general umbrella term for those with low incomes. |
| Do Use |
|---|
| low-income student “Low-income” is generally acceptable as a descriptor. |
| under-resourced “Under-resourced” is acceptable when describing resource disparities among social groups. In the context of higher education, this often includes low-income students, first-generation college students, undocumented students, and students of color. |
| historically excluded Consider using this term when appropriate, especially as a replacement for “underrepresented.” |
| null |
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Related Information
Sources
- The Hope Center. (2021, March 31). #Realcollege 2021: Basic needs insecurity during the ongoing pandemic.
- Baker-Smith, C., Coca, V., Goldrick-Rab, S., Looker, E., Richardson, B., & Williams, T. (2020, February). #Realcollege 2020: Five years of evidence on campus basic needs insecurity. The Hope Center.
- Bryant, J. & Boitnott, J. (2023, October 12). Why is college so expensive? 5 reasons. BestColleges.
- Slayton, N. (2021, May 21). Time to retire the word ‘homeless’ and opt for ‘houseless’ or ‘unhoused’ instead?. Architectural Digest.
- Dennon, A. (2022, May 11). Coronavirus deepens the digital divide for college students. BestColleges.
- Kochhar, R. & Sechopoulos, S. (2022, April 20). How the American middle class has changed in the past five decades. Pew Research Center.