Access to affordable food and housing among college students.

This report describes the results of the #RealCollege survey administered in the fall of 2019 at 17 of the 18 New Jersey community colleges, a subset of the 227 two- and four-year institutions surveyed across the United States. In 2019, just over 9,110 students from 17 New Jersey community colleges responded to the #RealCollege survey.

The results indicate:

• 39% of respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days
• 44% of respondents were housing insecure in the previous year
• 14% of respondents were homeless in the previous year

These rates are similar to national trends, though the rate of homelessness is a bit lower. There is wide variation—approximately 30 percentage points—in rates of basic needs insecurity across New Jersey community colleges. Students often marginalized in higher education are at greater risk of basic needs insecurity while attending New Jersey community colleges. This includes Middle Eastern, Black, and Indigenous students; those identifying as nonbinary or transgender; and students who are returning citizens or former foster youth.