2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey Report

February 2025

Executive Summary

This report shares findings from 91 institutions across 16 states that participated in Hope Impact Partnerships (HIP) and fielded The Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey between Spring 2023 and Summer 2024.

Among 74,350 survey participants, we found that 59% of students experience at least one form of basic needs insecurity related to food or housing, including:

41% of students experiencing food insecurity

48% of students experiencing housing insecurity, and

14% of students experiencing homelessness.

Consistent with prior Hope Center surveys, we find that basic needs insecurity is particularly prevalent among students with structurally marginalized identities and those who have the greatest trouble accessing and affording higher education, including: part-time students, Pell Grant recipients, Black and Indigenous students, students with disabilities, former foster youth, and those who have been involved in the carceral system. For example, nearly 75% of Black and Indigenous students who completed our survey report facing at least one form of basic needs insecurity related to food and/or housing, compared to 55% of White students—a 20 percentage point gap.

Below are other key findings we explore throughout this report:

Further, when we consider other basic needs (mental health, child care, transportation, and internet/technology access) in addition to food and housing, 73% of respondents reported facing basic needs insecurity. In terms of mental health, 44% of students reported experiencing clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and/or depression and 57% of survey respondents who had previously stopped out (stopped attending college without completing a credential and subsequently re-enrolled) reported they did so because of mental health issues.

The link between student basic needs security and persistence is unequivocal: 79% of student respondents to our survey who had previously stopped out of college (and subsequently re-enrolled), or were considering stopping out of college, told us it was due to basic needs insecurity (emotional stress/ mental health, lacking money for living expenses, childcare/caregiver responsibilities, lack of transportation, lack of access to internet/technology) or financial reasons (cost of attendance/ insufficient financial aid, cost of textbooks or course materials, unexpected financial expense/ emergency).

At the same time, almost 2 in 3 students (65%) reported that they lacked awareness about available supports.

51% of students who experienced at least one type of basic needs insecurity did not receive any public benefits.
Just 12% of students facing housing insecurity or homelessness utilized public housing or utility assistance.
Lastly, merely 8% of students who missed classes due to transportation issues accessed public transportation assistance.

Among students who experienced at least one type of basic needs insecurity, our survey found that 48% did not use any of the campus supports we asked about.

Federal and state policymakers, as well as leaders of higher education institutions, have a tremendous opportunity to increase the number of Americans attending and completing college by supporting their basic needs.

Throughout this report, we include policy recommendations that respond to our findings. We call for reforms to higher education and safety net policies—including financial aid and public benefits programs—that reflect and address the needs of students, as well as greater investment in institutions to create and maintain ecosystems of support. In addition, we call for policymakers to improve outreach and reduce administrative burdens so eligible students can enroll in benefits and other programs that reduce basic needs insecurity and the cost of attendance.

We also feature institutional recommendations throughout the report, drawing from the work of hundreds of colleges and universities with whom we are proud to collaborate through our Hope Impact Partnerships (HIP) program. From expanding supports to dismantling barriers, we are inspired by their commitment to strengthening ecosystems of support for students and see their dedication as a model for institutions across the country.

We also include student quotes throughout the report; after all, students are the ones with lived expertise about basic needs insecurity. These quotes are responses to a qualitative item on our survey: “What does the world need to know about being a college student?”  Their responses serve as much-needed reminders that the status quo isn’t working—that we must rebuild a system in which students are humans first.

Meeting students’ basic needs assures their long-term health, improves their educational outcomes, and in turn, contributes to a more robust workforce and society. By prioritizing basic needs security, we take a meaningful step toward a more equitable, compassionate world where every student has the resources and opportunities to thrive.