Addressing Basic Needs Barriers to Promote Student Retention, Progression, and Completion: Practices at Diverse Institutional Types

ABSTRACT

This article examines how three institutions address college students’ basic needs insecurity and its impact on academic success. Institutional data demonstrates how case management, food access initiatives, public benefits navigation, and emergency funding address unmet basic needs that support retention, persistence, and graduation rates. The article provides further guidance on how systematic data collection and collaboration can strengthen basic needs programming and better support diverse student populations.