Skyrocketing Number of California College Students Struggling to Afford Food and Housing

Written by Joshua Q. Nelson

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FOX-35)- A recent report reveals a distressing surge in the number of college students in California who are facing significant challenges when it comes to affording basic necessities such as food and housing.

The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) recently released a survey that highlights the alarming increase in food and housing insecurity among college students receiving financial aid over the past few years.

The survey indicates that students attending California State University (CSU), California Community Colleges (CCC), private non-profit institutions, and private for-profit schools all reported above-average rates of food insecurity. The data, collected from 23,687 respondents in May, revealed that 53% of college students claimed to have experienced housing insecurity, while 66% reported being food insecure. These figures represent a significant spike from the 2018-2019 survey, which found that only 36% of students were housing insecure and 39% were food insecure.

Interestingly, even students with meal plans faced food security issues. The survey revealed that 62% of students living on campus with a meal plan were still food insecure, as the meal plans did not cover enough meals for a week. Moreover, these students were often disqualified from receiving food assistance programs like Cal-Fresh.

The report attributes the rise in food and housing insecurity among college students to economic inflation and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which have made it increasingly challenging to meet these basic needs.

The Executive Director of CSAC, Marine L. Garcia, expressed shock at the survey results. She stated, “The results of this year’s survey are shocking and demonstrate that the basic needs crisis our students face is persistent and intensifying for students across all segments of higher education. In this survey, we found that over two-thirds of students were identified as food insecure while over half were housing insecure.”

Garcia further emphasized that female students, individuals from low-income backgrounds, African American and Latinx students, as well as older students who work and parent while pursuing their education, were most likely to experience housing and food insecurity. These findings shed light on the increasing difficulties faced by students from marginalized communities in realizing their higher education dreams.

Moreover, the survey revealed that students aged 24 and older, attending community colleges or private for-profit institutions, and eligible for “Zero Expected Family Contribution” were most affected by the challenges of securing housing and food.

Despite the financial obstacles, the report highlighted that most students remained resolute in their belief that college is a worthwhile investment.

This survey comes on the heels of California State University’s (CSU) proposal to increase tuition for the 2024-2025 school year, which has further intensified concerns about the affordability of higher education in the state.