As more students face basic needs insecurity, colleges and universities are hiring benefits navigators to connect them to crucial aid and support.
Topics: Student necessities
Colleges navigate a student housing crisis driven by shortages of on-campus rooms and surging rents nearby
Colleges and universities across the country are working to expand student housing as on-campus residences reach capacity and skyrocketing off-campus rents leave students with few affordable options.
Georgetown Scholars Program nears $20M goal to permanently fund emergency aid for first-gen and low-income students
Thanks to a generous anonymous challenge match from a foundation and support from additional donors, the Georgetown Scholars Program is close to fulfilling its ambition to permanently endow the program’s Necessity Fund, which provides modest grants to students encountering unexpected, out-of-pocket expenses.
Housing crunch leaves U.S. college students with few options
Nationwide rent increases and housing shortages in college towns have left many institutions scrambling to find students a place to live.
High gas prices straining student finances
College students, especially those with long commutes, are voicing concerns about the untenable cost of traveling to and from their campuses, internships, and jobs.
Preventing small, unexpected expenses from becoming big obstacles
Even minor unforseen costs can pose a formidable challenge for low-income students. Colleges are finding ways to ensure that temporary hurdles don’t have lasting consequences.
HBCU initiative aims to address widespread basic needs insecurity
Two-thirds of HBCU students surveyed in fall 2020 reported basic needs insecurity, according to a report released in tandem with a new initiative to help historically black institutions advocate for funding and deepen their support services.
Transportation access top of mind for campus leaders
Many students lack safe, affordable, and reliable transportation to and from campus. A growing number of colleges are taking note.
$65B broadband investment could help address the digital divide
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law this week includes $65 billion to boost broadband access in rural areas and tribal communities, addressing a key barrier to equity in higher education.
Two-thirds of students in need didn’t apply for emergency aid, report finds
A new report highlights structural barriers that prevented students from accessing emergency grants this past year—insights that could help shape student support beyond the pandemic.
Organizations join forces to step up fight against food insecurity
A merger between Swipe Out Hunger and a network of campus food pantries will greatly expand both groups’ reach.
Simple nudges may boost use of basic needs supports, Hope Center says
Intentional outreach more than doubled low-income students’ use of resources at one Texas community college. The low-cost strategy could help improve completion rates more broadly, according to a new report from the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.