Across higher education, there is growing recognition that students’ academic success is deeply connected to whether their basic needs are met. Food, housing, transportation, child care, mental health support, and financial stability all play a critical role in students’ ability to persist and thrive. Yet, despite increased attention to basic needs insecurity, institutions often rely on definitions and service models that do not fully reflect how students themselves understand and experience these challenges, which in turn, influence whether students recognize a need, feel comfortable asking for help, or even believe support is meant for them.

When definitions, language, and outreach strategies don’t align with students’ lived experiences, even well-intentioned and well-resourced institutions can struggle with low utilization of services and persistent challenges. Centering student perspectives is a critical lever for reducing stigma, improving access and completion, and ensuring that support systems actually reach the students they are designed to serve.

Centering student perspectives in a new research initiative

We’re thrilled to announce that Ithaka S+R is launching a new multi-year research initiative funded by ECMC Foundation, designed to center student voices and lived experience to develop a student-informed understanding of basic needs insecurity and improve institutional communication, support, and access to public benefits.

This project will engage a cohort of 10–15 colleges and universities, including two-year and four-year public institutions across the country with varying levels of existing basic needs support and infrastructure. Through a multi-phase research initiative, the project will explore how undergraduate students define and experience basic needs insecurity. Participating institutions will have the opportunity to gain student-informed insights into these experiences, examine how their current outreach and support strategies align with student perspectives, and identify approaches for reducing stigma, improving communication, and increasing access to resources and public benefits. The combined insights from this cohort will be shared publicly to help institutions nationwide strengthen student-centered approaches to addressing basic needs insecurity.

The work is grounded in three core areas:

  • Student definitions and perspectives: How do different groups of undergraduate students define basic needs insecurity within the context of their lived experiences?
  • Factors influencing help-seeking behavior: How do undergraduate students’ perceptions of need, stigma, and trust influence whether and how they seek support?
  • Institutional strategies: How can colleges and universities align and adapt communication, outreach, and service provision to reflect students’ preferences and lived experiences to improve access and reduce barriers to support?

What’s next

In February 2026, Ithaka S+R will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for institutions interested in participating in the project. Over the course of the initiative, participating colleges and universities will collaborate closely with Ithaka S+R to elevate student perspectives on basic needs insecurity by supporting student recruitment for interviews, focus groups, and a survey. Participating institutions will also have the opportunity to examine how their current outreach and support strategies align with students’ lived experiences.

We will host a virtual information session in February to walk through the project goals, participation expectations, timeline, and RFP process, with time for questions. If you are interested in receiving the RFP, please fill out the form below.

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For more information about this initiative or opportunities to participate, please contact Melissa Blankstein at melissa.blankstein@ithaka.org.