Dr. Tim Cook ran 1,400+ miles to every community college in Oregon. Not for the blisters. Not for the headlines. But to spotlight student basic needs. His run raised $177K—and challenged big assumptions about who today’s students are.

SNAP payments are delayed and cut about in half this month. Many students and families could wait weeks for relief. Our new guide outlines how colleges can step up and support them through the disruption: hope.temple.edu/hope-blog/sn...

Despite two federal court rulings today, students in higher education may face a potential delay in SNAP benefits this weekend, and communities will likely experience a spike in hunger. Our new guide offers practical steps to support students during this time: hope.temple.edu/hope-blog/sn...

🚨 42 million Americans—including 1.1 million college students—will see their November SNAP benefits halted or delayed as the Administration refuses to release emergency funds during the shutdown. Hunger is not inevitable—it’s a policy choice. Read our statement: hope.temple.edu/newsroom/sta...

California's Hispanic-serving community colleges are scrambling to figure out next steps as they're set to lose $20 million in federal funding that would have supported STEM majors, efforts to eliminate equity gaps & other programs. Via @edsource.org: edsource.org/2025/hsi-gra...

Students shouldn’t have to park outside McDonald’s to access WiFi. Reliable internet isn’t a luxury—it’s a basic need. Read our Q&A with @ilsr.bsky.social on "connection insecurity," the growing digital divide leaving too many college students behind. hope.temple.edu/hope-blog/ke...

Student Parent Month might be over—but until we see structural change, our support must continue. Join us at this @urbaninstitute.bsky.social webinar to learn more about how your college can collect data and support students. www.urban.org/events/lesso...

In this piece by Cristian Ulisses Reyes at @nasfaa.bsky.social, he summarizes the current understanding of student basic needs insecurity and gives a brave and insightful look into his own journey. We commend him—we need both data and narrative to support students. www.nasfaa.org/news-item/37...

In a rapidly changing higher education landscape, we need supports that are accessible, sustainable, and creative to combat funding cuts. College Housing Northwest has been working on just that.

It’s been a while since our last newsletter! This summer featured an overwhelming set of policy changes on issues that deeply impact student basic needs security. In our first fall dispatch, we dive into our advocacy & other nation-wide efforts to support students: 🧵👇

Ending food insecurity requires timely, reliable data on how many Americans struggle to put food on the table. The Trump Administration’s decision to end the USDA’s Household Food Security Report will make it incredibly difficult to measure and reverse the campus hunger crisis.

This community college president ran 1400 miles and raised over $130k to support students facing basic needs insecurity. May we all show up with his kind of determination to challenge student basic needs insecurity. www.opb.org/article/2025...

Our @prinistacy.bsky.social was a part of this panel of brilliant changemakers at the 2025 SUCCESS Convening, leading a conversation on how we can better fund basic needs initiatives—a topic more critical than ever in the wake of recent policy decisions.

This Thursday, our colleagues at the PEER Center are hosting a crucial webinar on the impacts of the OBBB reconciliation bill for researchers and scholars. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Basic needs challenges are intersectional and interlocking—and they prevent students from actualizing their potential. By providing child care support for parenting students, we can support many of their needs at once.

This two-pager from our colleagues at @sheeoed.bsky.social provides an excellent case as to why state agencies across the country should invest in basic needs data. sheeo.org/wp-content/u...

Half of college students don’t have their mental health needs met. The good news? We can better support colleges in changing that. www.highereddive.com/news/half-of...

September is Student Parent Month—if we want to better support them, we need to first listen to them. Throughout the month, we’ll share their answers to our survey question, “What does the world need to know about being a college student?”

To properly support students, we need to ensure faculty have their basic needs met too, including their mental health care. This webinar from @chronicle.com will give tips on how to help your faculty and staff avoid fatigue and burnout: www.chronicle.com/events/virtu...

Sweeping cuts to public transportation are happening in our home city of Philadelphia. It’s time to imagine a better future for college student transportation. hope.temple.edu/newsroom/hop...

Caregiving students face unique challenges in college—and that’s around 20% of all students. This new report from Trellis Strategies explores trends in data around caregiving students and details practical pathways to support them better. www.trellisstrategies.org/research-stu...

In Ohio, @prismreports.org reports how laws banning work labelled "DEI" are closing campus centers geared toward women and LGBTQIA+ students—stripping them of critical resources, support, and community. prismreports.org/2025/08/19/o...

September, National Student Parent Month, is just a couple weeks away. To properly celebrate a fifth of college students who are parents, we must get creative about supporting their basic needs.

States can make big things happen to support their students. We were proud to work with MiLEAP and Michigan students to identify those opportunities. Many of the lessons learned are applicable country-wide: hope.temple.edu/projects/mic...

There’s no doubt that continued attacks on undocumented students will make it harder for them to access food, housing, transportation, and other basic needs. We must support them. www.chronicle.com/article/just...

We can't stay quiet when so many of our students and colleagues are under attack. We can—and must—support them. In the face of woeful anticipatory obedience, our Senior Director @bmckib.bsky.social said it best at SHEEO's conference: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

It is crucial that we maintain and continue to build on the progress we’ve made in creating equitable conditions for STEM students. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

We know that feelings of belonging are critical to uptake of basic needs support, and these centers offer that sense of community. If we want students to succeed, we need to offer them spaces to thrive. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

We're still buzzing from an amazing week of sharing our work and learning from so many brilliant partners at @sheeoed.bsky.social's conference! We can't wait for more statewide collaborations to better support students. They deserve nothing less.

The Newbury Center ‪at @bostonu.bsky.social‬ provides a great model for universities looking to support their first-gen students! They’re providing housing stipends for and building community with their students: www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

In the wake of federal cuts to basic needs supports, states are making changes to how they support students. Tomorrow at @sheeoed.bsky.social's conference, @bmckib.bsky.social will give an overview of what's being done and offer paths forward to best support students. web.cvent.com/event/d21c72...

States have opportunities to support college student basic needs, and reap rewards when they do. Camara Lewis, the MN Office of Higher Education, IBHE, and our Dr. Abelson will discuss how some states are doing so at @sheeoed.bsky.social's conference today: web.cvent.com/event/d21c72...

Funding applications for programs that support low-income and adult learners haven’t come out yet. This puts many students, especially parenting students, at significantly greater risk for basic needs insecurity. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion has had a huge impact on students' ability to access health insurance and focus on their studies. The recent budget bill's massive cuts could upend all of that: www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

The @captimes.com interviewed @prinistacy.bsky.social for two stories on student food insecurity. First, one on how students at @uwmadison.bsky.social and Madison College are facing higher levels of food insecurity: captimes.com/news/educati...

We appreciate President Lynn Pasquerella shedding light on how Medicaid cuts undermine student belonging. Federal cuts to healthcare and food benefits reinforce the price of being poor in college: www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Our partners at @ticas-org.bsky.social have produced several must-read explainers on what the “big beautiful bill” means for college students: ticas.org/our-work/bud...

This new report from IHEP details the massive gap in success indicators between college students who receive parental support and those who don’t—and how we can start to close it. www.ihep.org/publication/...

The notion of the “traditional college student” is outdated. And the ways we support today’s college students needs to catch up to reality. Our Dr. Abelson talked to @forbes.com about what that means for mental health supports. www.forbes.com/sites/ericwo...

These three federal programs make it possible for millions of students to complete college, thereby boosting our workforce. Now, Congress and the Administration are threatening to slash their funding. We shouldn’t just protect these programs—we should expand them.

It’s crucial that we support the mental and physical health needs of everyone on campus. We need to provide women and others that can become pregnant the institutional support they deserve in times of hardship. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

In an environment increasingly hostile to international students, @macalestercollege.bsky.social has managed to meaningfully support their own. We commend them for their fantastic work which should be the standard for all higher ed. www.chronicle.com/newsletter/l...

New surveys from @gallup.com + @luminafoundation.bsky.social and @newamerica.org show that Americans are regaining trust in the value of higher ed—but are still deeply worried about the costs. As they should be. www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

The "Big, Beautiful Bill" is the latest big, ugly obstacle in higher ed access. Rising tuition & the deprioritization of investment in support services will have a devastating effect on students nationwide. @bmckib.bsky.social weighs in for @insidehighered.com‬ www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Recent cuts to higher education funding continue to have devastating consequences—for everyone. www.chronicle.com/newsletter/t...

Whether you’re in Michigan or another state, our findings from MI’s basic needs task force are universally applicable in boosting student’s access to supports nationwide: hope.temple.edu/projects/mic...

We know how valuable it is for students to get involved in campus activities—it can boost retention and graduation. But some students face high barriers in accessing them. Here’s how you can get more students involved on campus: www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...

Work restrictions make it hard for international & non-citizen students to access skill building opportunities. To help them make the most out of higher ed, colleges like @ucirvine.bsky.social are implementing innovative fellowship models. @insidehighered.com: www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

This regressive bill will be devastating for students—especially those who rely on many of the programs that are facing cuts for basic needs support. We need to ensure we use whatever resources we can to push back against this horrible status quo. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Congressional Republicans just passed a massive budget bill that will devastate higher education and eviscerate programs that support students’ and families’ basic needs—including food assistance and medical care—in the largest transfer of wealth to the rich in U.S. history.