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A 'Hidden Reality': Thousands Of College Students Are Homeless

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Lorenz Marcellus, left, Ana Lobo and Zachary Wright have all been homeless at some point in their lives. But they are now part of a group of scholars at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, who are succeeding in college. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)
Lorenz Marcellus, left, Ana Lobo and Zachary Wright have all been homeless at some point in their lives. But they are now part of a group of scholars at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, who are succeeding in college. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)

The Los Angeles Community College District said this summer that 1 in 5 of its students is homeless and nearly two-thirds can't afford nutritious meals.

It's a problem coast to coast: Some tallies put the number of homeless college students nationwide at 57,000, and a survey in Massachusetts showed nearly half of that state's college campuses saw an increase in homeless students last year.

Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd (@odowdpeter) visited with students who have experienced homelessness firsthand.

This segment aired on September 4, 2017.

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