Abstract
A substantial share of college students experience housing insecurity and too many students leave higher education before earning a credential. Both of these experiences are more common among students from low-income families who often lack adequate resources. While prior conceptual and qualitative investigations suggest that housing insecurity is associated with poorer student outcomes, this relationship has not been tested due to quantitative data limitations. In this paper, I use data from a state-wide longitudinal study of students from low-income families to conduct the first empirical test of the relationship between housing insecurity early in college and later college achievement and attainment. Findings show that housing insecurity is a statistically significant predictor of academic success, net of background factors. Specifically, housing insecurity is associated with an 8 to 12 percentage-point reduction in the probability of later degree attainment or enrollment. In the short-term, housing insecurity is also associated with lower mean GPA, a lower probability of obtaining at least a 2.0 GPA, and a higher probability of enrolling part-time rather than full-time, indicating that housing insecurity affects students’ college academic experiences in multiple ways. Efforts to promote college attainment should be expanded to consider students’ housing security. There are likely several points in time and multiple ways that higher education institutions, nonprofit agencies, and policymakers can intervene to promote secure housing and college success.
Highlights
CharacteristicsChildhood PovertyGrowing up, there was not enough to eat at home 25.7 (%)College Food SecurityLow Food Security (%)Very Low Food Security (%)Pre-College Financial Aid InformationAverage Expected Family Contribution ($) **Zero Expected Family Contribution (%)
This study seeks to answer the question, what is the relationship between experiences of housing insecurity early in college and later educational success, net of background factors? To better understand potential academic pathways to attainment or persistence, I assess the relationship between housing insecurity and enrollment intensity and grade point average (GPA) in the short-term
College students who experience housing insecurity are more likely to have grown up in poverty as evidenced by a lack of food to eat at home
Summary
The Wisconsin Scholars Longitudinal Study (WSLS) is one of the first studies that allows for such an investigation since it follows a representative cohort of undergraduates over time using survey and administrative records. It includes 3,000 undergraduates from low-income families who enrolled in one of Wisconsin’s 42 public colleges and universities full-time for the first-time in fall 2008. Students had to be Wisconsin residents who attended and graduated from a state public high school or earned an equivalency diploma and matriculated within three years. The study tracks students’ academic outcomes for four years through colleges’ administrative data systems and the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), which includes degree information from 98% of students in public and private institutions, enabling the study team to track the educational outcomes of students who transfer institutions
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