Discussions about homeless veterans are not novel and neither is the growing body of literature about higher education students experiencing housing insecurities. Merging the two groups, another less-explored, at-risk population surfaces, student veterans struggling with housing insecurities.

Homelessness in the veteran population has long been a national concern despite vast resources available from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and many other helping agencies. Some may question why veterans experience housing insecurities. After all, the training they receive during their service surely provided the wherewithal to overcome such challenges. Similarly, an increasing concern in the news is homelessness among higher education students. The 1993 film “Rudy”, based on a true story, illustrates an example of the problem. The main character, Rudy, driven by his lifelong dream of playing football at the University of Notre Dame, arrives on campus with few resources and no place to live. Driven by his determination to succeed, the power of kindness is also highlighted in the film when the stadium groundskeeper secretly gives Rudy a place to sleep each night in the locker room. Again, with other perspectives in mind, someone external to the higher education experience might wonder, “If students are smart enough to go to college, they should be smart enough to figure out housing like I had to." All reasonable conjectures, nonetheless, a problem exists and solutions are needed to equip both the afflicted student veteran population and affiliated organizations with resources to tackle housing insecurity.

Various statistics underscore the problem. A decrease in overall homeless veteran rates between 2023 and 2024 celebrated in one article contrasts with an 18% increase reported for total homelessness nationally. A 2023 article reported homelessness rates for undergraduate and graduate students at approximately 8% and 5%, respectively. A 2019 article indicated 23% of 2017-2018 college student veterans experienced homelessness. A 2024 article, focused on community college student veterans, reported survey numbers of 52.5% of the population with housing insecurities while 17.8% had experienced homelessness. Keeping these statistics in mind, the student veteran population is one at-risk of having lower grade point averages and dropping out of school due to related instabilities. It is a population often living in unsafe conditions, bouncing around night-to-night, sleeping in cars, on couches, or in temporary shelters.

Considering the statistics above, this means that some of our student veterans who are resilient in balancing higher education’s demands, are still struggling to find safe and adequate housing. Higher education professionals should have awareness of the resources available and guide students to those who’s profession it is to help overcome housing insecurities.

Reasons for student veteran housing insecurities are broad and multi-faceted. Various disabilities including mental health conditions, lack of affordable housing, and employment insecurities can be contributing factors. In some cases, student veterans may not seek help due to a lack of trust in bureaucratic systems, red tape hurdles, stigma anxieties, or noble pursuits of self-reliance, as documented in VA reports and other scholarship about the population. Likely, too, is a general lack of resource awareness among this population indicative of broader marketing efforts needed from supporting entities.

How can higher education professionals further get involved to assist those who are struggling? Higher education can assist this critical need population by implementing programs operated by knowledgeable liaisons and by fortifying community partnerships with affiliated organizations. In addition to official liaisons to provide students with information about on and off campus resources, university professionals across campuses should add information and resources to their toolkits in preparation for encounters with those in need. These professionals should learn about and be alert to the signs of student veteran housing insecurities. Although indicators are not always easy to spot, some may include apparent health, hygiene, financial, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Moreover, helping hands should be prepared for understandably prideful resistance and have in their back pockets appropriate empathic, yet resourceful, responses. There are many benchmarks to aid program implementation and on-the-ground entities will be the best authorities for tailoring programs within their unique communities and institutional cultures.

From the stages of matriculation through graduation, many student veterans already have a tough row to hoe. Some will not finish the journey due to the myriad challenges they face. Assisting student veterans with housing insecurities is becoming another priority for professionals in post-secondary education. Perhaps, too, it should be an added component in fulfilling higher education’s kindness imperative. With demands on today’s higher education professionals expanding, teaching student veterans how to overcome such struggles will be yet another challenge to overcome. Given the history of homelessness in the country and the fact more localities are instituting response programs, this challenge is not going away. It is quickly becoming another serious issue higher education professionals may face when prioritizing resources and budgets. More importantly, providing the tools, knowledge, and related resources for those at risk will help academia honor the sacrifices student veterans have made, empowering them with the needed stability to pursue their own lifelong dreams.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success

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