A Qualitative Interview-based Study of the Lived Experiences of North Carolina Community College Students Who report Food Insecurity

This study represents North Carolina community college student experience with food insecurity. Two-year students have a wide variety of challenges as they make their way to finishing a credential. One such challenge, hunger, has always been a component; awareness and discourse have not. The purpose of the research is to understand the narratives of students experiencing hunger by using a qualitative, semi-structured, brief biographic narrative approach to understand the lived experiences of community college students facing hunger. Using a qualitative interview-based approach, 15 North Carolina community college students were interviewed to know how they manage hunger while working, studying, parenting, and succeeding in school. Several seminal theories such as Bronfenbrenner (1981a), Engle and Tinto, (2008); Tinto (1989); Tinto (2017), in combination with Chickering, 1969; Chickering and Reisser, (1993); Maslow (1943); and Erikson (1963) were used in this study to provide foundations for this research. The findings suggest that community colleges need to implement programs such as basic needs assessments, additional support services, and policies drawing upon student experience with hunger. What also emerged were stories of life-long extreme hardships for the participants. These students tell the tale of their struggles, sacrifices, and tenacity to better their lives through education.