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 three institutions in the Greater Seattle Area.
More than 700 students participated in the survey. Among our findings were the following:
- 42% of respondents experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days
- 59% of respondents experienced housing insecurity in the previous year
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19% of respondents experienced homelessness in the previous year
This #RealCollege Survey Report affirms that basic needs security is a challenge for undergraduates pursuing credentials. The scope of the problem described here is more substantial than previously documented and should be cause for a systemic response.