Housing Barriers to College Success

Housing Barriers to College Success

A new issue of Insights posted by PD&R explores housing insecurity experienced by U.S. college students and its impact on their post-secondary educational success. Barriers to Success: Housing Insecurity for U.S. College Students reviews national data and research on the issue, finding that although 7 out of 10 Americans enroll in four-year college programs, completion rates are low, particularly for low-income and first-generation students, and the U.S. lags behind other industrialized nations in graduation rates.

The challenges faced by today's college students include significant increases in room-and-board and housing costs that account for a major portion of living expenses, while adequate affordable housing near college campuses is lacking. Construction of on-campus housing has not kept pace with increased enrollment, new construction financed through public-private partnerships is often unaffordable to students, and an estimated 58,000 college students are homeless. Barriers to Success finds that financial aid determinations for students living off campus, where housing options can cost less, often underestimate what students need to reasonably meet expenses. Students who lack sufficient financial aid are likely to work more hours or forego key resources like textbooks, which negatively affects their ability to succeed in the classroom. Federal financial aid and federal housing assistance programs carry restrictions and rules that often limit student access to housing, highlighting an increasing need to align housing, educational supports, and other benefits to students.

Barriers to Success suggests solutions for student housing insecurity are urgently needed and that innovative programs, such as the Tacoma Community College Housing Assistance Program and Single Stop USA, are potential models for the kind of intervention that can enhance student success.