Report: Majority of Latino/a College Students Face Food Insecurity, Financial Barriers
Credit: FG Trade / Getty Images- A report by UnidosUS found that 1 in 5 surveyed Latino/a college students cited getting a well-paying job as their main reason for pursuing college, and 40% said their reason was to provide a better life for their family.
- The report found 85% of Latino/a students and 63% of Latino/a student single-parents said they are experiencing food insecurity.
- Most (80%) of the Latino/a students surveyed worked a full- or part-time job while enrolled in college.
- Almost three-quarters of Latino/a student respondents said they considered taking a leave of absence or leaving college altogether to avoid racking up more financial debt.
An October report by UnidosUS found that a majority of surveyed Latino/a college students face food insecurity, hold jobs while enrolled, take out loans to help pay for college, and consider or take a leave of absence to avoid taking out more loans.
UnidosUS is committed to doubling the number of Latino/as in four-year colleges by 2040. While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed growth, one-fifth of all U.S. college students are Latino/a.
“The vast majority are balancing work and school, and a concerning number lack access
to affordable and nutritious food,” the report says. “As a result, they feel overwhelmed, with a large proportion reporting that they have considered dropping out.”
BSP Research was commissioned by UnidosUS to survey 3,000 Latino/as, ages 18-35, who are current or recent postsecondary students.
One in 5 respondents reported that the most important reason for pursuing higher education is to get a well-paying job, and 40% of the students said their reason was to provide a better life for their family.
However, the road to graduation is expensive and often complicated.
The report found that 85% of the Latino/a student respondents can’t consistently access affordable and healthy food, with half reporting it happened “a few times a week” or “daily.”
Latino/a single-parent college students in the survey also experienced high rates of food insecurity (63%).
This is consistent with a June report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that found single-parent students are one of the groups facing higher rates of food insecurity alongside nontraditional students, gender-nonconforming students, students with disabilities, and students from for-profit and minority-serving institutions.
While food insecurity had a big impact on students from lower income levels, it also impacted 40% of Latino/a students from higher-income households, according to the UnidosUS report.
Despite experiencing food insecurity, less than half of the surveyed students applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, citing that they thought they weren’t eligible for the program.
This is also consistent with the GAO report, which found that most college students who were eligible for SNAP benefits in 2020 didn’t use the program.
Robb Friedlander, director of advocacy at nonprofit Swipe Out Hunger, previously told BestColleges that this mainly happens because of:
- Rules and applications that confuse students and state agencies
- A lack of resources for assistance and awareness on campus
- The work requirement of 20 hours per week for students whose course load status is half-time or greater
The UnidosUS report found that 80% of surveyed Latino/a students had either a full- or part-time job, staying consistent regardless of income level or school type.
An October report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy found that Latino/a immigrants have $6,574 in unmet financial need, while third-generation descendants had $5,375.
One of the biggest barriers to financial aid and qualifying for federal work-study for immigrants can be citizenship status. Undocumented students can qualify for financial aid in some states since they can’t qualify for federal financial aid.
California nearly passed a bill allowing undocumented students to work at the state’s public colleges, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it, citing potential legal issues.
Finances have caused 73% of Latino/a students surveyed to consider taking a leave of absence or leaving college altogether to avoid racking up more debt — over half of the students took out a student loan to afford college, according to the UnidosUS report.
Some students even had difficulty submitting financial aid forms earlier this year due to their parents’ citizenship status. Students who could qualify for financial aid but had undocumented or noncitizen parents ran into a problem with the simplified 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Additionally, a BestColleges survey found that a quarter of students struggled to stay enrolled because of FAFSA challenges and delays.
The UnidosUS report found that overall 43% of its respondents had technical issues with the FAFSA — with 47% of respondents from California reporting technical problems with the form.
If you’re experiencing food insecurity, check out our advice on where to find resources and apply for SNAP benefits.