Student Affairs

University-wide student survey to understand food, housing need launches Oct. 3

All students at every campus are encouraged to take the survey to help the University understand prevalence of need at each campus, direct resources and support

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Students: The Penn State Food and Housing Needs Survey is live through Oct. 21 at https://bit.ly/food-housing-survey

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Oct. 3, all Penn State students will receive an email with information on completing the Food and Housing Needs Survey. The University is seeking input from students — whether or not they have had trouble meeting basic needs — with the goal of learning more about the prevalence of need across each Penn State campus, including World Campus. This survey is also an important step for directing resources and support and guiding future initiatives around housing and food insecurity, which is a rising issue for college students across the country.

The survey will be open from Oct. 3-21 and will take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Students who complete the survey will be eligible to win one of several Amazon gift cards in amounts up to $50. Students will receive an email from saraoffice@psu.edu on Oct. 3 as well as several reminder emails while the survey is open.

“I encourage every student to participate in this survey, even if they are not personally impacted by food or housing insecurity. Your participation can benefit your fellow students and will help all of us better understand the challenge and direct our resources appropriately,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Nothing is more important to me than student success in and outside the classroom and it’s clear that success can be impacted greatly when students have to focus on how to meet their basic needs. This survey is critical as we work to keep the momentum going as we all work together to address this complex issue.”

Protecting the privacy of survey respondents is the University’s top priority. While students will need to authenticate to take the survey, only a small group of Student Affairs staff members who can provide resources and support will have access to individual responses. All public reporting will be done in the aggregate without identifying individuals.

This survey follows a smaller survey conducted in November 2021. A random sample of undergraduate and graduate/professional students at University Park were asked to share their experiences with food and housing insecurity. Consistent with national trends, the results of the 2021 survey confirmed that a need exists among some students on the University Park campus, and indicated that a broader census across the University’s campuses would be beneficial.

Students are encouraged to complete this survey even if they were included in the 2021 survey.

“Supporting students is our top priority, and the launch of this more comprehensive survey will help the University better understand need across all campuses,” said Kelly Austin, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses. “Our campuses all have their own unique challenges, and the survey will inform how the University might individualize the way we are addressing specific areas of need within our communities.”

In addition to helping the University understand the prevalence of housing and food needs among students, this survey will provide a pathway for direct, confidential outreach to students. Case managers within Student Care and Advocacy at each campus will connect with students whose survey results indicate an immediate need so resources and support can be provided.

“The rising issue of student food and housing insecurity across the nation has a direct impact on our student’s ability to succeed. It’s inspiring to see the commitment of so many at Penn State in taking on this challenge and how much has been accomplished already,” said Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs. “Penn State has resources and support systems in place and our hope is that this survey can assist us in directing those initiatives to where they are needed most.”

The Food and Housing Needs survey is one step in a series of initiatives to address this complex challenge at Penn State. Food and housing insecurity has been a critical University and presidential priority beginning with the establishment of the University Task Force on Food and Housing Security in 2020. Since then, many efforts in this area have been realized, the latest of which include expanding the Office of Student Care and Advocacy to provide focused support to students in need, as well as improvements to the student-run Lion’s Pantry at University Park and pantries at Commonwealth Campuses.

Food and housing insecurity is often an unseen challenge and can look different for everyone. Survey questions will ask about students’ experiences with:

  • Skipping or stretching meals.
  • Having limited access to nutritious food.
  • Being uncertain about where their next meal will come from.
  • Being unable to pay rent and moving around frequently due to financial strain.
  • Becoming homeless, including due to safety concerns, among other topics.

It will also touch on current employment, current financial resources or support, and the impact of food or housing insecurity on academic responsibilities and overall health and well-being.

After being analyzed, broad results and recommendations to address findings will be shared with the Penn State community in the spring semester. However, students whose survey results indicate need may begin receiving outreach from Student Care and Advocacy sooner.

For questions regarding the Food and Housing Needs Survey, please contact Student Affairs Research and Assessment at saraoffice@psu.edu. At any time, you can also learn more about available basic needs resources and reach out for support if needed. 

Last Updated October 3, 2022