July 30, 2013 / Modified jul 31, 2013 8:07 a.m.

College Student Poverty Rate Higher Than Average

Census Bureau says in AZ, 46.9% of those not living with relatives are below federal threshold.

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The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 46.9 percent of Arizona college students not living with relatives earned below federal poverty level incomes.

Based on figures in the report, that would mean more than 144,000 Arizona college students who didn't live with relatives were below the poverty threshold for the study years, 2009-2011.

The overall poverty rate for those three years in Arizona was 17.6 percent, the report said.

The 2011 federal poverty guideline was defined as annual income below $10,890 for one person and $22,350 for a family of four, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. For 2013, the guideline is defined as annual income below $11,490 for one person and $23,550 for a family of four.

The study was the result of requests to the Census Bureau for information on how the presence of college students affected poverty rates in their communities, the report said.

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