#REALCOLLEGE 2021 - BASIC NEEDS INSECURITY DURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Damian

Entering fall 2020, higher education faced severe disruption from the coronavirus pandemic: enrollment fell, FAFSA completion declined, and retention dropped, while students’ stress and anxiety rose. Using the sixth annual #RealCollege Survey, the report analyzes how pandemic conditions affected basic needs security and students’ well-being, including employment status, academic engagement, and mental health. Responses from 2020 survey respondents quantify food insecurity, housing insecurity, and homelessness, and evaluate disparities and the utilization of emergency aid and public benefits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages75

Reading Time3 h 9 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

What is the #RealCollege Survey?

Defining Basic Needs Insecurity

The Fall 2020 Data

Who is Missing from the Data?

A Note on Comparing Rates of Basic Needs Security Across Time

New Economics of College

Health, Enrollment, Employment, Families, Institution Budgets

Basic Needs Insecurity During the Pandemic

Food Insecurity, Housing Insecurity, Homelessness

Disparities in Basic Needs Insecurity

Utilization of Supports

Why Do Supports Matter?

Emergency Aid and Public Benefits

Conclusion and Recommendations

Recommendations

Upcoming #RealCollege Survey Reports

Acknowledgements and References

\#REALCOLLEGE 2021: BASIC NEEDS INSECURITY DURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC March 31, 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 | PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 11 PAGE 25 PAGE 38 PAGE 54 PAGE 62 PAGE 65 Executive Summary Introduction What is the \#RealCollege Survey? Defining Basic Needs Insecurity The Fall 2020 Data Who is Missing from the Data? A Note on Comparing Rates of Basic Needs Security Across Time Shifts in \#RealCollege Respondents Over Time New Economics of College Health Enrollment Employment Families Institution Budgets Basic Needs Insecurity During the Pandemic Basic Needs Insecurity Food Insecurity Housing Insecurity Homelessness Disparities in Basic Needs Insecurity Basic Needs by Institution Type Utilization of Supports Why Do Supports For Basic Needs Insecurity Matter? Emergency Aid Public Benefits Other Campus Supports Disparities in Use of Support Use of Support Across Institutions Conclusion and Recommendations Recommendations Upcoming \#RealCollege Survey Reports Acknowledgements Funder Disclosure About The Hope Center Suggested Citation List of Participating Colleges Notes and References Click the headers to navigate the report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Entering the fall 2020 term, higher education was reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. Enrollment was down—particularly among students most at risk of basic needs insecurity; fewer students had completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and college retention rates had dropped.1 Students and faculty were stressed and anxious.2 By the end of the term, more than 267,000 Americans died.3 At the same time, the federal government pumped an unprecedented $6 billion into student emergency aid via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.4 This report examines the pandemic’s impact on \#RealCollege students who were able to continue their education in this challenging environment. Using our sixth annual \#RealCollege Survey, fielded in fall 2020, we assessed students’ basic needs security and their well-being, as indicated by employment status, academic engagement, and mental health. In total, over 195,000 students from 130 two-year colleges and 72 four-year colleges and universities responded to the 2020 \#RealCollege Survey. Students told us that: 3 | INTRODUCTION In fall 2020, more than six months into the coronavirus pandemic, colleges struggled to deal with the pandemic’s many impacts. Campuses tried—and often failed—to stay open, and budgets were cut at both public and private institutions.5 Widespread inequality deepened as well, with Black, Native American, and male students forgoing their educations at disproportionately higher rates.6 Due to school closures, parenting students played dual roles as caretaker and student.7 And a pandemic-induced recession led to many students losing their jobs.8 Students were challenged in new ways to make ends meet. While our team at The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice has repeatedly documented that as many as half of all students experience basic needs insecurity, the onset of the pandemic shifted the realities of higher education: in many ways, the new economics of college have grown even more challenging over the past year.9 Rising college prices, stagnant wages, growing inequality, and—as of April 2020–a global economic downturn, make attaining a college degree and achieving upward economic mobility especially tough for today’s \#RealCollege students. Our research conducted early in the pandemic backs up this assertion, showing that nearly three in five students lacked adequate access to food or housing.10 4 | As the crisis continued into the new school year, the situation became even more complex. Institutions of higher education experienced two major shifts: 1. Emergency aid increased: Colleges and universities distributed more than $6 billion in federally funded emergency aid for the first time, thanks to the

FAQs

What does the #RealCollege 2021 report study about students during the pandemic?

It examines how the pandemic affected students who continued their education, focusing on basic needs security and well-being indicators such as employment status, academic engagement, and mental health.

What survey measures define basic needs insecurity in this report?

The report examines three specific measures: food insecurity, housing insecurity, and homelessness.

How does the report explain changes in emergency aid and enrollment during fall 2020?

It notes that emergency aid increased due to federally funded distribution enabled by the CARES Act, while enrollment declined through reduced first-time college enrollment and lower FAFSA completion, alongside dropped retention rates.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Damian