Many College Students Struggle for Food and Housing

A recent report from Wisconsin HOPE Lab and Temple University has found that many college students have gone without food or housing at some point while pursuing higher education.

Thirty-six percent of university students and forty-two percent of community college students reported having trouble with “food insecurity” in the 30 days leading up to the survey. The survey consisted of over 66,000 students in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

A heartbreaking 9% of community college students said they had gone an entire day without eating because they couldn’t afford it. Six percent of university students made similar claims.

The leading author of the study, Sara Goldrick-Rab, says, “Prices have gone up over time…But the rising price is just a piece. This is a systemic problem.”

Part of that problem is inadequate financial aid and increasing enrollment among financially struggling or insecure students. Goldrick-Rab called on universities and community colleges to create programs to support their students in order to facilitate “retention, graduation, and positive student development”.