UW survey offers first comprehensive look at student basic needs

Student Affairs and the Division of Enrollment Management (DEM), with support from the Graduate School, today released findings and recommendations from UW-Madison's first comprehensive Basic Needs Survey. The survey was conducted in spring 2025 to better understand the experiences, barriers, and factors associated with basic needs access among UW-Madison students. Questions addressed food security, housing stability, financial resources, and more.

"There is growing evidence that basic needs insecurity, from food to housing, is negatively affecting college students nationwide, including their well-being and ability to succeed academically," said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor. "We knew it was important for us to get reliable data among our students so we can ensure our support systems are truly meeting students where they are."

A random sample of 7,500 students - including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students - was selected to participate in the Basic Needs Survey, yielding a 27% response rate.

Key findings

• Food access: At the time of the survey, UW-Madison undergraduate students reported experiencing a higher rate of food insecurity (27%) in the past 30 days than the national average (20.9%). Of the 27%, 14.4% reported moderate hunger, and 12.1% reported severe hunger.
• Demographic impact: First-generation students (41%), Pell-eligible students (38%), international students (37%), students with disabilities (37%), and students of color (33%) reported higher rates of food insecurity than their peers.
• Academic success: Food insecurity correlated with lower GPA (3.39 vs. 3.54 for students with reliable access to food).
• Housing security: More than one-third of students expressed experiencing housing insecurity in the past 12 months, with graduate and professional students (51%) and working students (46%) most affected.

"When students are struggling to meet their basic needs, it affects everything - their ability to stay enrolled, perform academically, and ultimately graduate," said Interim Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Scott Owczarek. "These data give us the insights we need to inform policies, programs, and resource allocation. We're committed to using the findings to take meaningful action."

Recommendations

A working group including representatives from across Student Affairs, DEM, as well as an undergraduate and a graduate student evaluated the survey results and developed recommendations to strengthen campus programs and to address identified gaps and opportunities. The group's recommendations include improvements to administrative processes, integrating campus food access resources, enhancing off-campus housing education and support, and a commitment to data-informed decision making on resource allocation for basic needs.

Current resources and next steps

Student Affairs and DEM maintain a comprehensive offering of resources on the Basic Needs Student Support website for students seeking access to food, housing, health, clothing, childcare, and other basic needs.

A few highlights:

• Badger Reclaim is a sustainability program developed by the Office of Student Financial Aid, University Housing, and Mad City Moving to collect unwanted items during student move-out and redistribute them for free to fellow students. The program reduces waste while saving students money on essentials.
• A Food Resource Map is a student-developed resource that helps students find community and campus food locations, including food pantries and pick-up locations, free meals, microwaves for use on campus, and other food-related resources.
• Goodie Bag is an app co-founded by a Badger alum that the Wisconsin Union recently launched to offer unsold food at significant discount. This effort helps reduce food waste while increasing food affordability.

Student Affairs and DEM are using the survey findings and recommendations to evaluate how existing resources, structures, and partnerships can best be designed to support student success.

The Basic Needs Survey Findings and Recommendations Report is available online. UW-Madison students looking for support can find available resources at basicneeds.students.wisc.edu.