With the economic troubles of the past few years, it’s no surprise that the number of people using food stamps is soaring. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that an average of 44 million people were on food assistance last year; that’s up from 17 million in 2000.<\/p>\n
What might be surprising, though, is one subgroup that’s taken a particularly hard hit.<\/p>\n
The number of people with graduate degrees \u2014 master’s degrees and doctorates \u2014 who have had to apply for food stamps, unemployment or other assistance more than tripled between 2007 and 2010, according to a report in The Chronicle of Higher Education.<\/p>\n
In 2010, the report says, 360,000 of the 22 million Americans with graduate degrees received some kind of public assistance.<\/p>\n
Chronicle reporter Stacey Patton spoke with Tell Me More host Michel Martin about why so many highly educated Americans have to rely on this type of aid.<\/p>\n