Imagine getting a diploma, but having no home. Or paying for class, only to arrive with an empty tummy. Some new reports say that there are a rising number of students left hungry and homeless by the debt they're accumulating while trying to pay for college.

Sometimes financial aid and scholarships are just not enough to help student manage the financial burden that college imposes on them. Even the hardest working students, willing to take more than one paying job, find themselves choosing between doing homework and working a couple of hours for much needed pay. Things can get pretty extreme, with students giving literal meaning to "living in the library."

According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, there is a definite increase in the number of homeless students across the country. However, there are no definite numbers.

The University of California Los Angeles, or UCLA, has responded with an Economic Crisis Response Team to try to identify and assist students who are struggling financially. Their goal is not only to keep them housed and fed, but also enrolled in school. They provide a discreet food closet where students who otherwise couldn't afford to eat on campus can grab a meal. They're providing other support and services as they come to understand what struggling students need most.

What can you do?

Nothing should force a student to drop out of school. Make sure that students around you are getting the support they need for whatever challenges they face. Start a mentoring program.

Start your own local food pantry by holding food collection drives.

Look around and see how student struggle to get an education, then use differentmedia to spread the word.