NCS Scholars
NCS Scholars is designed to address the challenges that typically cause or accompany homelessness, giving the residents the best chance to earn their degrees and begin successful futures.
A March 2019 study found that more than 14% of CUNY students experienced homelessness and more than 55% experienced housing insecurity in the previous year. Research shows that these students have lower grades, are more likely to enroll part-time, and are less likely to graduate. Students working hard to improve their futures shouldn't have to struggle to find a place to sleep.
This first-of-its-kind program in New York City provides students with:
private bedrooms in shared suites
on-site staff, including a social worker
support to connect residents with necessary social services and benefits
resources for mental and physical health
academic and employment support and financial assistance
mentoring and networking opportunities.
NCS Scholars: LIC opened in October 2022 as a pilot, helping create a blueprint that can be expanded throughout CUNY and beyond to address the challenge of student homelessness.
Providing students with housing and services makes it much more likely they will complete their degree, which can be the key to upward mobility. CUNY, in particular, has long been seen as the "gateway to the middle class" for New Yorkers. A 2020 report by the Brookings Institution confirmed CUNY's role as the nation's leading engine of social and economic mobility, with particular impact for people of color, immigrants, and those from low-income backgrounds.
The data show that in New York City, residents with an Associate's degree from CUNY earn 91% more—nearly twice as much—as those with only a high school diploma. Those with a CUNY Bachelor's degree earn 126% more than residents with no post-secondary degree.
NCS Scholars supports degree completion and, through a relatively short-term intervention, has the potential to change the trajectory for college students from New York City and beyond.
We aim to prevent past histories of homelessness from determining students' futures and avert some of the dismal outcomes, including chronic homelessness.
