Beyond Academics: Exploring the Food, Housing, and Wellbeing Needs of College Students

ABSTRACT Our study interrogates the relationship between basic needs – food and housing – and wellbeing among students at a small state university in Pennsylvania. Also examined were differential risks by race, gender, ethnicity, and degree type sought. Our study of food security demonstrated that 36.5% of students were food insecure, a rate three times the national rate, and 40.2% of students were housing insecure. Housing and food insecurity were correlated with overall wellbeing needs not being met. We argue that food and housing insecurity among college students is not sufficiently understood or addressed in policy. Innovative responses to these problems are discussed.