Brief Housing and Food Security: Prerequisites for Student Success in Postsecondary Education

Introduction  

Earning a postsecondary degree or credential can create pathways out of poverty, boost economic mobility by increasing employment prospects and earned wages, and is associated with better health and social outcomes. More students from low-income families and communities are enrolling in colleges and universities than ever before but are graduating at significantly lower rates than their peers from higher-income households. Financial considerations, including students’ ability to meet their basic needs contribute significantly to this widening gap between degree earners.  

Most college students today are considered “nontraditional.” A recent study found nearly 75% of college students are financially independent from their parents, have full-time employment or fall into another nontraditional category. They may receive financial aid and scholarships to attend college, but this support often does not cover the full cost of attendance, e.g;, tuition, fees, room and board. Many students who are not able to cover the costs on their own, with family support or through financial aid must turn to student loans to pursue a postsecondary degree or credential.   

The effects of high student loan debt is having a measurable impact, constraining borrowers’ ability to purchase a home and start a family. It also tends to delay retirement and burden the U.S. workforce and economy. Of particular concern are students who have dropped out of college without a degree but now have student loan debt.  

Both traditional and nontraditional college students are struggling to meet their basic needs, especially as housing and food costs soar. A national survey of two- and four-year college and university students conducted in 2020 by the Hope Center at Temple University found that nearly 60% of all students could not regularly meet their basic needs. Thirty-four percent reported they were food insecure in the past 30 days, 48% reported they were housing insecure and nearly 14% experienced homelessness during the previous year. Students of color, students who identify as LGBTQ+, first-generation students, students with a disability, students who are or were in foster care and students who receive Pell Grants are more likely to experience food and housing insecurity. These basic needs insecurities are also higher for students who are parenting than those who are not.   

Housing instability and food insecurity adversely affect college persistence and completion. Conversely, having your basic needs consistently met supports healthy brain development and the ability to learn, thereby enhancing the conditions necessary for learning and degree attainment.  

Food Insecurity Among Postsecondary Students 

Food insecurity is defined as households that are uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all household members due to insufficient money or other resources. The U.S. Department of Education reports that four million undergraduate and graduate students were food insecure in 2020, more than double the rate of all U.S. households the same year. Feeding America notes college students are struggling to afford food due to rising tuition costs, lack of affordable on-campus meal plans, access to food on campus, changing student age demographics and the invisibility of the problem.   

The impact of food insecurity on students is wide-ranging and can have life-long implications. A recent study found food insecurity among postsecondary students was associated with lower odds of college graduation and lower likelihood of obtaining a bachelor’s degree. Food insecurity is also correlated with negative health outcomes and disparities, including chronic disease, obesity, depression and anxiety.   

Housing and Homelessness Among Postsecondary Students 

Homelessness and housing insecurity limit opportunities for youth and young adults to enroll in college, as well as create barriers to graduation among those who do enroll. Both perpetuate cycles of economic insecurity.   

Over the past decade, growth in college and university enrollment has outpaced the supply of on-campus housing. This shortage of housing, coupled with lack of credit and rental history, proof of income, lack of a cosigner, insufficient funds for a deposit and other common barriers faced by young adults in the rental market, contribute to student housing insecurity and homelessness.  

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development measures housing insecurity in three ways: 1) lack of affordability, 2) lack of stable occupancy and 3) lack of safety and decency. The Hope Center’s survey found that 50% of respondents at two-year colleges and over 40% of respondents at four-year colleges experienced some type of housing insecurity over a 12-month period. Additionally, 14% of students surveyed had experienced homelessness. The most common contributors to housing insecurity were students’ inability to pay their mortgage, rent or utility bills. This insecurity was often the cause of frequent and forced moves with 10% of respondents citing more than three moves within a 12-month period.   

Federal Public Assistance Programs are Unavailable to Many Students 

Two of the largest public assistance programs that address food and housing needs are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Both programs are largely unavailable to college students.  

College students generally are not eligible for SNAP, though certain exemptions apply. The primary exemptions are for students who are below age 18 or over 50, including those who are disabled, work at least 20 hours a week in paid employment, are enrolled in a work-study program or work training program, care for a child below age 12 or receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. States have flexibility to determine whether certain work training programs are the equivalent to a SNAP Employment and Training program, which expands access to SNAP benefits for students. Less than 50% of students eligible to receive SNAP benefits participate in the program largely because they are not aware of the program or their eligibility.  

The federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program provides tax credits for the acquisition, rehabilitation or construction of rental housing for lower-income households; however, students are largely not eligible for the credit. The U.S. Congress introduced the Housing and Homeless Student Act of 2022, a bipartisan attempt to expand this limited eligibility to students who have experienced homelessness or are veterans.