Isabella, a Scholar

Isabella takes her education seriously, working hard to make her family proud and achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. But living with her mom, dad, grandmother, and sister in a 300 square-foot apartment meant she didn’t always have a quiet place to study or get a full night’s sleep.

Even facing these challenges, she persevered, graduating from the selective Manhattan Hunter Science High School and earning a scholarship to Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.

But once her schedule became filled with college-level courses, her living situation impacted her studies, and her dreams began to appear out of reach. She knew if she was going to keep her grades up and complete her degree, she would need her own space—but as a full-time student, she couldn’t earn enough to afford an apartment in New York City.

And Isabella isn’t the only one. Fourteen percent of CUNY students have experienced homelessness, and 55% experience housing insecurity.* This makes them less likely to graduate, and less likely to see the benefits of earning a CUNY degree.

We created NCS Scholars to provide year-round, stable housing and on-site supports that give unhoused students the best chance to complete their degrees and begin successful futures.

Isabella moved into NCS Scholars this fall, and now has her own quiet bedroom where she can focus on her schoolwork and stay on the path to her goals.

“Now, I actually have a place to call my own room, and that alone, like, I’m shaking thinking about that,” she shared. “I feel just immensely grateful. I just feel an overwhelming emotion.”

*According to the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice