Free College for NYC's Homeless

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-06-12 05:20:00 UTC
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Any homeless advocate will tell you, the only solution for homelessness is housing. But at the same time, nobody wants to struggle forever to make ends meet. St. John's University and NYC Department of Homeless Services announced an exciting new partnership this week: they are giving 40 of the city's homeless a chance to earn a college degree.

Here is the story from Newsday:

St. John's University and the city's Department of Homeless Services have teamed up on a program that gives the homeless a chance to earn a college degree, with the aim that they eventually will make enough money to never need public assistance again.

Called "Advantage Academy," the program - officially unveiled Thursday at a Manhattan news conference - is providing more than 40 homeless and formerly homeless people the chance to earn associate degrees in information technology and business at St. John's Manhattan campus.

Handing out a college education to 40 individuals in New York City is not going to end homelessness. It may not even make a dent. But imagine if this idea caught on, if every college rolled out a similar plan to homeless people in their community. For some folks, such an opportunity to increase their education level (and earning potential) puts them on the path to long-term financial independence.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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