Colleges must build closer partnerships with community organizations, public agencies and benefit programs to help students navigate an increasingly complex support system, according to a new report from Ithaka S+R.
The report examines how federal and state policies shape students’ ability to access support services and highlights collaboration as a critical component of student success. The report finds that student basic needs insecurity remains widespread across higher education and often reflects broader economic and policy challenges rather than individual circumstances.
For community colleges — where many students balance work, family responsibilities and financial pressures — the findings are particularly relevant. The report notes that 23% of undergraduates experience food insecurity and 8% experience homelessness, according to federal National Postsecondary Student Aid Study data. Beyond food and housing, students often struggle with transportation, childcare, technology access, healthcare and mental health needs.
Researchers emphasize that these challenges are interconnected and frequently prevent students from persisting in college or completing credentials. Yet many institutions continue to address needs on a campus-by-campus basis rather than through broader systemic approaches.
“Higher ed is not positioned to be able to really solve this problem” alone, one interview participant noted, particularly when it comes to housing insecurity, which respondents described as a growing concern in many communities.
A stronger web
The report highlights the role community colleges can play as key access points within larger support networks. While colleges often operate food pantries, emergency grant programs and resource centers, researchers argue that no single institution can meet the full range of student needs independently. Effective support depends on relationships with public benefits programs such as SNAP, Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, as well as partnerships with local governments, nonprofits, libraries and community service providers.
Strong partnerships help institutions stay informed about changing eligibility requirements, coordinate referrals, share data and connect students with services more efficiently, the report says. It contends that these connections are often what determine whether students actually receive assistance.
Community colleges face additional challenges because many basic-needs initiatives operate with limited staffing and funding. Interviewees for the report described situations in which responsibility for addressing student needs is spread across multiple offices rather than assigned to dedicated personnel. As a result, institutions frequently struggle to keep pace with growing demand.
Promising practices
The report points to promising strategies already underway in some states, including benefits navigators who help students access public assistance programs, data-sharing agreements between colleges and state agencies, and coordinated referral systems that reduce administrative hurdles for students.
Libraries also emerge as important partners. Both academic and public libraries can serve as trusted, low-barrier locations where students access technology, information and referrals to support services. Partnerships between libraries and colleges can help bridge gaps between campus and community resources, researchers found.
The report includes recommendations for policymakers, higher education leaders, student affairs professionals and community organizations. Among them are investing in collaborative networks, improving data-sharing systems, strengthening benefit navigation services and creating more student-centered pathways to support.
