The Hope Center Student Needs Report: Why College Students Are Struggling
A new report from The Hope Center shows that many college students struggle to afford food, housing, and other basic needs. For students who grew up in foster care, these challenges make it even harder to succeed in school.
The Hope Center’s Key Findings
The report (found here) surveyed over 74,000 students across 91 colleges and found that:
- 59% of students struggle with at least one basic need.
- 41% face food insecurity (not having enough to eat).
- 48% struggle with housing insecurity (trouble paying rent or staying in one place).
- 14% are homeless.
Some students are affected more than others. Black and Indigenous students, students with disabilities, former foster youth, and those who have been in the justice system are most at risk. In fact, 75% of Black and Indigenous students in the survey struggle with food or housing insecurity—20% more than White students.
Why This Matters for Foster Youth
For former foster youth, these challenges are common. Many do not have family to help them. They are expected to go to school, work, and survive on their own.
The report found that 79% of students who dropped out or thought about leaving school did so because they couldn’t afford basic needs. Without food, stable housing, mental health care, and transportation, staying in school becomes nearly impossible.
Support Foster Youth in College
At Foster Love, we believe that education is a pathway to success, but for foster youth, getting through college without financial and emotional support is a major hurdle. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing assistance for foster youth in higher education.
Your donation can help provide essentials like housing support, food assistance, and educational resources for foster youth in college.
HELP COLLEGE-AGED FOSTER YOUTH OVERCOME THE STATISTICS
The Problem With Support Systems
Many colleges offer support programs, but students often don’t know about them. The report found that:
- 65% of students don’t know what help is available.
- 51% of students in need don’t use any public benefits.
- Only 12% of students facing housing insecurity or homelessness use housing assistance.
- Just 8% of students who miss class due to transportation issues get public transportation aid.
This shows that even when help exists, it’s not reaching the students who need it most.
What Needs to Change?
The report calls for leaders to take action by:
- Expanding financial aid to cover living expenses.
- Making food and housing programs easier for students to access.
- Increasing support for students’ mental health.
- Raising awareness about available resources.
The Hope Center student needs report proves what we already know—college students, especially former foster youth, need more support. Without food, housing, and mental health care, many are forced to drop out. It’s time to fix this broken system so all students have a real chance to succeed.
Foster Love is working to bridge the gap until the broken system is fixed by helping former foster youth access the support they need to thrive in college. Your donation can make a real difference—help a foster student stay in school and build a brighter future.
