Hope Scholars: A Toolkit for Serving College Students Experiencing Homelessness

This toolkit, developed by John Burton Advocates for Youth in partnership with Rio Hondo College, features the college’s Hope Scholars program—an innovative model that provides holistic, on-campus support for students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Hope Scholars integrates financial assistance, housing resources, and case management services in collaboration with the college’s Basic Needs Center. The program has demonstrated measurable success in improving stability and educational outcomes for students facing housing challenges. The publication offers practical guidance for other California community colleges and universities seeking to develop or expand similar programs, drawing on lessons from Rio Hondo’s implementation and evaluation findings from the Center for Equitable Higher Education.