Does poverty impact student academic outcomes and wellbeing in Australian universities? A systematic review

Preliminary evidence suggests that Australian university students have higher levels of financial stress and food insecurity relative to the general population. However, the impact of poverty on students’ university experiences is rarely considered. The current systematic review sought to investigate whether poverty is associated with poorer academic outcomes and wellbeing in Australian tertiary students. The search included a range of terms related to financial stress, food insecurity, homelessness, housing insecurity, attrition, academic achievement, satisfaction with life, general health, and psychological distress. Twenty-seven (65.9%) of the 41 studies revealed a negative relationship between poverty and wellbeing, and/or a negative relationship between poverty and university engagement within Australian university student samples. Overall, the review found that poverty within tertiary students is associated with negative impacts on academic performance and well-being. Universities, governments, and researchers are therefore urged to explicitly identify the issue of poverty within higher education to begin to address it appropriately.