Emergency Aid Policy Brief Today’s students pursuing higher education face many financial challenges in addition to rising college costs. Federal need-based financial aid programs were never designed to cover coinciding education costs, let alone unexpected financial setbacks that arise during the course of a program, like car repairs or employer layoffs. Emergency aid is a…

Basic Needs Landscape Analysis In this landscape analysis, we reviewed policies and strategies throughout the U.S. designed to help meet the basic needs of today’s students, an increasing area of focus for colleges and universities and for policymakers. Time and time again, research has shown that student retention, persistence, and completion are strongly influenced by…

Introduction Postsecondary credentials are a good investment for individuals, families, and communities. Yet college tuition and fees have increased at a much faster rate than financial aid. As college costs continue to rise, along with food and housing prices caused by inflation, students still need to meet the most basic necessities of living. But meeting…

Numbers Speak Basic needs insecurity adversely affects students’ well-being, as well as their college persistence and completion. Research shows that food and housing insecurity are contributing factors to lower graduation rates. Higher education funding alone is not enough to meet those needs. One solution is to ensure students access all available financial support, including means…

The Basic Facts on Unmet Essential Needs A recent study found that three in five college students experienced insecurity in meeting their basic needs, such as housing and food. However, many federal safety net policies designed to support Americans in need were not created with today’s postsecondary students in mind.   Research now shows today’s…