UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thousands of students across the University completed the Penn State Food and Housing Needs Survey, which closed on Oct. 21. As a result, more than 400 gift cards of varying value were distributed to participants as a thank you for taking time to complete the survey, and Student Care and Advocacy is reaching out to those who may need assistance.

The survey, which was sent to all Penn State students at every campus, asked students about their experiences with skipping or stretching meals, having limited access to nutritious food, being unable to pay rent, being homeless and more. The survey also touched 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.

Student Care and Advocacy, a unit of Penn State Student Affairs, is coordinating an effort to reach out to students at every campus whose survey results indicated a varying level of need related to securing basic resources. The outreach will take several forms, including emails to share resources and individual meetings to provide additional support. The office also will offer drop-in office hours and coordinate drop-in workshops where students can learn more about general resources and available support through the University or in surrounding communities.

The Food and Housing Needs Survey results help the University learn more about the prevalence of need across each Penn State campus, including World Campus. This survey also is an important step for directing resources and support to those in need and guiding future initiatives around housing and food insecurity, which is a rising issue for college students across the country. To that end, a summary report of the survey results and broad recommendations to address findings will be shared with the Penn State community in the spring.

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