A majority of college students have experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity, such as food or housing, following the expiration of pandemic-era emergency funding. These deficits imperil students’ chances of earning a credential, according to recent findings from The Hope Center, an action-oriented policy institute housed at Temple University that released its annual “Student Basic Needs Survey Report.”
“Even though student needs, costs, and concerns have risen, many policies and programs created during the pandemic to address food and housing insecurity and emergency expenses have expired and reverted to their insufficient norms,” the report read.
Of the 74,000+ students surveyed in 2023 and 2024, hailing from 91 colleges across 16 states, more than half (59%) experience at least one form of basic needs insecurity, with the highest rates at two-year colleges and Minority Serving Institutions.
Of all currently enrolled students surveyed who’ve once stopped out or considered it, 79% said their struggle with basic needs was a contributing factor.
“Meeting students’ basic needs assures their long-term health, improves their educational outcomes, and in turn, contributes to a more robust workforce and society,” the report read.
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Marginalized students were more likely to report struggling. For example, nearly 75% of Black and Indigenous students face at least one form of basic needs insecurity related to food and/or housing, compared to 55% of white students. Part-time students, Pell Grant recipients and former foster youth are among some of the other demographics to struggle at higher rates.
Nearly three-quarters of all students reported struggling with other basic needs, such as childcare, transportation, internet/technology access and mental health. The final issue proved to be the second-most prominent issue students struggled with, behind housing. It also transcended demographic lines: The rate of white students struggling with clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression was higher than average (48% vs. 44%).
Students’ struggles often intersect. For example, 53% of respondents who were experiencing basic needs insecurity related to food or housing were also experiencing anxiety and/or depression.
Lack of school communication is one reason students have trouble accessing support services:
- 48% did not use any of the campus supports The Hope Center asked about
- 23% indicated that a barrier to speaking with a mental health professional was either availability or financial reasons
- 12% of students facing housing insecurity or homelessness utilized public housing or utility assistance
The report identified three critical themes to help support students struggling with basic needs.
- Centralized, wraparound resources: Students need an interconnected support system that can assist them with multiple needs.
- Proactive communication must be ongoing, tailored, accessible, timely and relevant.
- More data to measure the effectiveness of implemented resources.
Some statewide initiatives your college or system can use for inspiration hail from Kentucky, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
