Document Tag: #RealCollege Survey

#RealCollege During the Pandemic: Initial Institutional Responses to Address Basic Needs Insecurity (2020)

The novel coronavirus pandemic is testing institutions of higher education in unprecedented ways,
including challenging their ability to address basic needs insecurity among their students. With
the crisis ongoing as a new academic year begins, it is helpful to examine the response thus far.
The Hope Center developed a pandemic-oriented, institution-based survey that was administered
between April 9 and May 29. The survey yielded responses from 165 institutions in 36 states. The
results reveal:
• The number of students with basic needs insecurity on college campuses is substantial,
regardless of the method used to quantify such students.
• More than two-thirds of institutions said basic needs insecurity was discussed “a lot” or “a
great deal” on their campuses, and community colleges were more likely than four-year
institutions to view basic needs insecurity as a hinderance to degree completion.
• Nine of 10 respondents were looking for additional help to address students’ food and
housing needs, which were already areas of concern prior to the pandemic. And as
nationwide eviction moratoriums began to expire toward the end of summer, evidence
emerged that housing needs were increasing.
• A majority of institutions offered support to students seeking Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and had an active food pantry on campus.
• One hundred and seven institutions offered emergency aid. Three-quarters of those
institutions used online applications for their emergency aid programs, easing one of the
main challenges to effectively dispersing aid. However, institutions continued to struggle
with staffing and publicizing the programs, as well as meeting the increased demand solely
via fundraising.
• One in five institutions required students to complete a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to access emergency aid funds.
• Just three in 10 institutions helped students with basic needs insecurity apply for
unemployment insurance, despite widespread job loss among undergraduates.1

Too Distressed to Learn? Mental Health Among Community College Students (2016)

A new study at 10 community colleges across the nation reveals that half of
the more than 4,000 community college students surveyed are experiencing
a current or recent mental health condition. Less than half of these students
are receiving any mental health services. Students age 25 and younger are
especially likely to have an untreated mental health condition. As mental
illness can impair academic success and quality of life, there is a clear
need for greater attention to and resources for mental health services and
programs on community college campuses.

Self-reported COVID-19 infection and implications for mental health and food insecurity among American college students (2022)

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health and increased food insecurity across the general population, less is known about the virus’s impact on college students. A fall 2020 survey of more than 100,000 students at 202 colleges and universities in 42 states reveals sociodemographic variation in self-reported infections, as well as associations between self-reported infection and food insecurity and mental health. We find that 7% of students self-reported a COVID-19 infection, with sizable differences by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parenting status, and student athlete status. Students who self-reported COVID-19 infections were more likely to experience food insecurity, anxiety, and depression. Implications for higher education institutions, policy makers, and students are discussed.

Campus Food Pantries: Insights from a National Survey (2018)

• This is the first-ever national survey of campus food pantries,
with 262 participating institutions, 217 of which currently
operate pantries.
• Most campus pantries have a designated space on campus,
serve exclusively the on-campus community, and are run by
staff, students, and faculty.
• Very few campus pantries have sizable budgets, but most
employ some paid staff, often undergraduate or graduate
students, and volunteers provide additional support.
• Awareness of campus pantries may be limited because
common outreach strategies are informal, but barriers to
support are low—just 5% of campus pantries require proof
of financial need.
• The most common challenges faced by camp

Student Basic Needs: Institutional Services and Awareness, AACRAO (2020)

AACRAO partnered with The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple
University on the March 2020 survey. The Hope Center recently released the
results of the 5th annual #RealCollege survey of students’ experiences with food and housing
insecurity; it demonstrates widespread food and housing insecurity at more than 400 colleges
and universities using data from more than 330,000 students.
The results of this survey help expand the understanding of the scope of services available at
institutions of higher education to help students meet their basic needs around food and
housing. In addition, the data include estimates of percentage of students impacted by these
issues and the degree to which the issue is part of a student success agenda. The survey was
completed by 469 institutions of various sizes, types, control and location.
The data were cleaned to leave only one response per institution.