Trellis survey: Nearly half of Texas undergraduates report recent food insecurity; mental-health and housing instability also widespread

Allison Cornet of Trellis Strategies presented new results from the 2025 Student Financial Wellness Survey to the Financial Aid Advisory Committee, telling members the Texas-only sample included just over 19,000 respondents from 42 institutions and showed widespread basic-needs and mental-health strains.

Cornet said almost half of surveyed undergraduates in Texas (48%) reported food insecurity in the 30 days before the survey, while 37% reported housing insecurity and 12% screened positive for homelessness indicators such as couch surfing or lacking stable housing. On mental health, Trellis found 44% screened positive for symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and nearly a third screened positive for major depressive disorder.

"It's incredibly difficult. Everything is so expensive from school supplies to food and housing," Cornet read from a student comment captured in the survey to underline the lived experience behind the statistics.

The survey also documented students' financing strategies and debt exposure: respondents reported using an average of three funding sources. Trellis found 54% used a credit card during 2025 and 16% used credit cards to pay college-related expenses; 26% had used buy-now-pay-later services since January 1, 2025. Thirty percent of surveyed students reported having taken out loans.

Cornet emphasized the survey's tie between finances and academic focus: 72% of respondents said they experienced financial difficulties while enrolled, and half of those reported finances made concentrating on schoolwork more difficult. The data also flagged financial fragility: 58% said they would struggle to cover an unexpected $500 expense.

Panel members and attendees raised questions about sample composition, distribution and institutional participation. Cornet explained Trellis administers the survey by invitation to students provided by participating institutions and that the Texas report will list participating campuses; she noted Trellis can also run the instrument for graduate populations on request.

Committee members discussed how institutions might use the findings to shape emergency aid, food and housing supports and outreach to students most likely to stop out. Cornet urged institutions to examine subgroup patterns (for example, foster-youth respondents showed especially high rates of basic-needs insecurity) when designing interventions.

The presentation concluded with an invitation to institutions to participate in future administrations; Trellis will share the slide deck and aggregate reports with the coordinating board for distribution to committee members.