Students Deserve Support Systems
Campuses and communities nationwide are witnessing how targeted investments in systems that support student well-being can improve retention, strengthen belonging, and create more equitable pathways to degree completion. These outcomes show why institutions moving toward a holistic support model help students remain enrolled, contribute to healthier communities, strengthen local economies, and create greater long-term opportunity for individuals and families.
A Critical Reality
Written by undergraduate student fellows as part of TSC’s Student Ambassador program, the Student Well-Being First Toolkit for institutions of higher education and policymakers is designed to advance policies, practices, and investments for student well-being that strengthen student success and improve educational outcomes. Affordability, campus basic needs initiatives such as food pantries and emergency aid, and access to mental and physical health care have all affected the students who authored this toolkit.
Student experiences, combined with the data and research presented throughout this toolkit, underscore a critical reality: student success cannot be separated from student well-being.
TSC’s Student Well-Being First Toolkit is intended to serve as both a practical resource and a call to action. The policy recommendations, program models, and research show that solutions exist and call for sustained investment, collaboration, and leadership to:
- expand support for student parents
- strengthen basic needs infrastructure
- increase access to mental and physical health care
Policymakers and institutions that prioritize comprehensive care create systems better equipped to meet today’s students’ realities and pathways that are more inclusive, sustainable, and responsive to evolving needs.