Off-Campus Living Conditions and Multidimensional Well-being among College Students: A Case of Tanzania Public Service College (TPSC), Mtwara

This study examined the relationship between off-campus living conditions and multidimensional well-being among students at Tanzania Public Service College (TPSC), Mtwara. Specifically, it assessed the relationships of housing conditions, financial burden, and safety and accessibility with students’ multidimensional well-being. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 71 students randomly selected from a target population of 86 students residing in off-campus accommodation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising 20 five-point Likert-scale items and analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. Internal consistency was high across the four five-item scales (α = .918 for housing conditions, .914 for financial burden, .909 for safety and accessibility, and .958 for multidimensional well-being). The regression model was statistically significant, F(3, 67) = 28.914, p < .001, and explained 56.4% of the variance in well-being (R² = .564; adjusted R² = .545). Safety and accessibility was the only statistically significant unique predictor (B = .505, β = .524, p < .001); housing conditions and financial burden were not statistically significant in the simultaneous model. A residual diagnostic indicated non-normality; therefore, HC3 heteroscedasticity-robust standard errors were also examined, and the substantive inference for safety and accessibility remained unchanged. The study highlights the importance of safe residential areas, convenient access to college, and reliable transport in supporting students who live off-campus.