Most College Students Experience Basic Needs Insecurity. For Historically Excluded Students, It’s Worse.
Credit: Jason Fochtman / Houston Chronicle / Getty Images- The Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey shows that 59% of students experienced insecurity related to food, housing, mental health care, childcare, technology, or transportation.
- Almost half of survey respondents revealed they experienced housing insecurity, and 41% experienced food insecurity.
- Respondents reported not using public or campus assistance — even when they needed to — in part because of a lack of awareness of the support available to them.
A new report from Hope Impact Partnerships highlights the basic needs insecurities many college students face.
The Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey was conducted between spring 2023 and summer 2024, and 74,350 participants were surveyed from 91 institutions across 16 states.
The survey found that 59% of the respondents said they experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity — lacking adequate access to food, housing, mental health care, childcare, technology, or transportation.
Respondents revealed that:
- 48% experienced housing insecurity.
- 41% experienced food insecurity.
- 14% experienced homelessness.
The numbers are even more dire for historically excluded student populations. These include Pell Grant recipients, students with disabilities, former foster youths, part-time students, and Black and Indigenous students.
According to the survey, almost 75% of Black and Indigenous students experienced at least one type of basic needs insecurity compared to 55% of white students. Additionally, 60% of Black students experienced housing insecurity, and 1 in 4 Indigenous students experienced homelessness.
Students who face compounding challenges felt housing insecurity and homelessness particularly hard:
- 72% of former foster youths reported experiencing housing insecurity.
- 67% of students who are parents reported experiencing housing insecurity.
- 36% of students with experience with the carceral system reported experiencing homelessness.
- 69% of students with disabilities reported experiencing basic needs insecurities related to food and/or housing.
Fifty-two percent of Pell Grant recipients reported experiencing food insecurity, compared to 35% of non-Pell Grant recipients.
Research has shown that students who are food insecure are more likely to have a lower average GPA and are less likely to complete their bachelor’s degree than students who were food secure. However, there are resources available to food-insecure students.
Many campuses offer food pantries, and students can visit community food banks off campus. Some students may also be eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The Hope Center survey shows that campuses can do a better job of informing students on what assistance is available to them.
The survey found that:
- 65% of respondents said they were unaware of available support.
- 51% of the students who experienced basic needs insecurity did not receive any public benefits.
- 48% of students who experienced basic needs insecurity did not use any of the campus supports the survey asked about.
If colleges can better inform and support their populations, it could result in more students staying enrolled. According to the survey, 79% of respondents who had stopped out or were considering stopping out of college said it was due to basic needs insecurity or financial reasons.