Penn State is releasing its latest Food and Housing Needs Survey via email to every student on campus. The university encourages all students to respond, regardless of their economic situation, in order to determine the most important issues on campus.

The survey takes roughly 10 minutes to complete and is open until Friday, October 21. Respondents’ names won’t be attached to any information from the survey that the university releases. Students who complete the survey are eligible to win an Amazon gift card worth up to $50.

“Your participation can benefit your fellow students and will help all of us better understand the challenge and direct our resources appropriately,” Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in the release. “Nothing is more important to me than student success in and outside the classroom and it’s clear that success can be impacted greatly when students have to focus on how to meet their basic needs. This survey is critical as we work to keep the momentum going as we all work together to address this complex issue.”

The university conducted a similar survey last November using a random sample of students. Students who participated in last year’s survey are still eligible to take the new survey.

Penn State launched its University Task Force on Food and Housing Insecurity in 2020. Since then, it has made improvements to the student-run Lion’s Pantry and expanded the Office of Student Care and Advocacy. 

For questions regarding the Food and Housing Needs Survey, contact Student Affairs Research and Assessment at saraoffice@psu.edu.