Higher Education Liaisons for Students Experiencing Homelessness: Role Preparation and Professional Development Needs – This research brief shares survey results from 49 homeless higher education liaisons from four states and provides a deeper understanding of the knowledge and experiences of liaisons and their professional development preferences and needs.
Higher Education
Research & Data from External Partners and Organizations
In December 2018, the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report entitled Food Insecurity: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits. Increasing evidence indicates that some college students are experiencing food insecurity, which can negatively impact their academic success. However, college students are only eligible for SNAP in certain cases. Given the substantial federal investment in higher education and the risk posed if students do not complete their degrees, GAO was asked to review food insecurity among college students.
In May 2016, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the challenges and barriers affecting the ability of homeless and foster youth to pursue a college education. The GAO found that burdensome program rules can hinder the ability of homeless and foster youth to access federal supports; extensive documentation requests can impede access to aid for homeless youth; annual re-verification of homelessness poses barriers for unaccompanied homeless youth; and that limited academic preparation, family support, and awareness of resources make it harder for homeless and foster youth to pursue college.
2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey Report – This report shares findings from 91 institutions across 16 states and 74,350 participants. The report found that 14% of undergraduate students experience homelessness and 48% of students experiencing housing insecurity. Certain populations like parenting students, students involved with the carceral system, former foster youth, and black and indigenous students had higher rates of homelessness and housing insecurity. The report concludes with institutional recommendations to provide support for students.
#RealCollege 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic – This report examines the pandemic’s impact on students who were able to continue their education during this challenging time. Nearly 200,000 students from over 202 colleges and universities participated in the survey. The report found that 14% of students both at 2 and 4-year institutions experienced homelessness. The report also examined students’ access to food, mental health services, and overall well-being.
#RealCollege During the Pandemic – Institutional Responses – The Hope Center developed a pandemic-oriented, institution-based survey that was administered between April 9 and May 29, 2020. The survey yielded responses from 165 institutions in 36 states. The results reveal that nine of ten respondents were looking for additional help to address students’ food and housing needs, which were already areas of concern prior to the pandemic.
#RealCollege During the Pandemic – On June 15, 2020, the Hope Center published a report that examines the impact of COVID-19 and school closures on the security of students’ basic needs. It found that 11% of students at two-year institutions and almost 15% at four-year institutions were experiencing homelessness due to the pandemic. The vast majority of homeless students were couch-surfing or staying in other temporary accommodations. On-campus students and off-campus students experienced similar rates of food insecurity (34% vs. 31%) and homelessness during the pandemic (17% vs. 15%). The report also found significant disparities in the pandemic’s impact on the security of college students’ basic needs, with the highest rates among Indigenous, Black, and Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian students.
#RealCollege2020 Research Shows 17% of College Students Experienced Homelessness in 2019 – On February 12, 2020, the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice published #RealCollege 2020, the fifth annual #RealCollege survey on basic needs insecurity among college students. In 2019, nearly 167,000 students from 171 two-year institutions and 56 four-year institutions responded to the #RealCollege survey.
College and University Basic Needs Insecurity: A National #RealCollege Survey Report – The #RealCollege survey is the nation’s largest annual assessment of basic needs security among college students. The survey, created by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice (Hope Center), specifically evaluates access to affordable food and housing. This report describes the results of the #RealCollege survey administered in the fall of 2018 at 123 two- and four-year institutions across the United States.
In April 2018, Wisconsin HOPE Lab published “Still Hungry and Homeless in College“, which summarizes the findings of a national survey that included 66 colleges and universities, including 31 community colleges and 35 4-year colleges and universities from 20 states and Washington, D.C. The survey found that 12% of community college students and 9% of university students experienced homelessness over the last year.
In March 2017, Wisconsin HOPE Lab released the results of a national study on hunger and homelessness among community college students. The study, Hungry and Homeless in College: Results of a Study of Basic Needs Insecurity in Higher Education, found that one-third of community college students are hungry and 14 percent are homeless.
In November 2019, Young Invincibles published a report on young adults experiencing homelessness in New York City and their ability to enter and complete a postsecondary education. The report examines barriers and provides recommendations to increase college access and success.
Published in August 2019, CSU’s Study of Student Service Access and Basic Needs is Phase 3 of the most comprehensive mixed-methods study of university students’ unmet basic needs and the relationship to student success ever completed within a 4-year higher education system.
Published in February 2018, CSU’s Study of Student Basic Needs is Phase 2 of the most comprehensive mixed-methods study of university students’ unmet basic needs and the relationship to student success ever completed within a 4-year higher education system.
College Focused Rapid Rehousing (CFRR) programs outperform traditional short-term housing assistance, leading to higher graduation rates, improved mental health, and long-term stability. Funded by the State of California in 2020, CFRR pilot programs at eight CSUs and 14 Community Colleges provided permanent housing, rental subsidies, and wraparound support. Evaluations show that most CFRR participants remained stably housed a year after the program and were more likely to stay in school or graduate.
Student Resilience in the Face of Challenges at California’s Community Colleges – This report examines the intersecting challenges community college students experiencing housing insecurity face as well as the needs and resilience strategies of these students. Building on a growing body of research on basic needs issues in higher education, the CHYP interviewed 20 students between 18 and 30 years old who experienced housing challenges while attending a community college.
Emergency Housing, Food, and Financial Resources for Undergraduates at California’s public Colleges and Universities– This report compiles a list of basic needs resources across accessible for undergraduate students at 50 California Community College, 23 California State University, and 9 University of California campuses.
Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness: Perspectives from California’s Community College – This report details key findings and recommendations based on a survey of College Homeless Liaisons at California’s community colleges. It is a collaborative effort of CHYP and the ACLU Foundations of California.
Resources Supporting Homeless Students at California’s Public Universities and Colleges – This research examines the supply of campus resources including mental health, child care, student programs, housing, food assistance, and transportation at 50 CCCs, 9 UCs, and 23 CSUs campuses. The report concludes with recommendations for improving higher education access for students experiencing homelessness and increasing capacity for data collection.
Equity in the Time of Need, Best Practices and Recommendations for California’s College Basic Needs Centers – This report highlights best practices and recommendations for California Community Colleges to develop basic needs centers to support many students, including those experiencing homelessness.
The Overlooked Obstacle Part 1: How Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies Impede Student Success and Equity – This report explores the impact of SAP standards and policies on financial aid with specific attention to students of color, experience in foster care, and homelessness.
The Overlooked Obstacle Part 2: Following the publication of The Overlooked Obstacle Part 1, JBAY launched a year-long Community of Practice to better understand the variance and disparate impact of SAP policies on students from low-income and minoritized populations. The report also includes key federal-and state-level policy recommendations to remove unnecessary barriers that prevent minoritized students, like students experiencing homelessness, from remaining eligible for most state and federal financial aid and earning a postsecondary credential.