Building on CUNY’s Success: Meeting Students’ Basic Needs in Changing Times

Read the first blog in this series here.

Students cannot focus on learning if they are worried about paying for necessities. As the cost of living continues to outpace many incomes, meeting students’ basic needs has become essential for supporting college success. While tuition at the City University of New York (CUNY) has remained relatively stable in recent years, tuition represents just one part of the total cost of attendance. Food, housing, transportation, books, technology, childcare, and other expenses can throw students off track and impact academic success.

Public benefits and student support programs help bridge the gap for many students. As discussed in our previous blog, CUNY has long recognized the value of creating opportunity programs to support students who face financial and structural barriers to higher education. Needs are rising, however, and recent federal policy changes create new challenges for students who rely on public benefits, underscoring the need to strengthen—not scale back—the systems that support students to complete their degrees.

Student Basic Needs Insecurity Continues to Rise

College students experience financial hardships that extend beyond tuition. At CUNY, 34 percent of students reported experiencing food insecurity in 2024. In a broader survey, the HOPE Center for Student Basic Needs found that at least 59 percent of students experience food and/or housing insecurity. These challenges disproportionately affect Black and Indigenous students, parenting students, students with disabilities, former foster youth, those who have been involved in the carceral system, and students from low-income families.

Basic needs insecurity is more than a financial problem­­­—it is a student success dilemma. When students struggle financially, they are more likely to attend part-time or leave college altogether. More than a third of first-time students who experienced food insecurity and/or homelessness in Academic Year 2019–20 were no longer enrolled in college two years later. Conversely, receipt of financial aid and connection to public benefits are closely associated with degree completion.

Recent changes enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will have important implications for New York students and potentially exacerbate basic needs insecurity. The law made significant changes to two key programs that many CUNY students rely on: SNAP, used by 21.4 percent of CUNY students in 2024, and Medicaid, used by 28.6 percent.

The most significant change to SNAP for students is the elimination of an important exemption for parenting students. Under the new law, most caretakers of children over age 14 will no longer be exempt from SNAP work requirements, creating additional burdens for many parenting students balancing school, work, and family responsibilities. Alterations to the current funding structure for SNAP will also impact New York State’s budget and could have trickle down effects on state higher education financing, as well.

Medicaid changes will take effect beginning in January 2027, when students ages 19 through 64 participating in New York State Medicaid will be required to complete at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities, with some exceptions. Enrolling at least half-time in an educational institution (as determined by the institution) or combining school with work or community service can satisfy the requirement in many circumstances; however, students will face new reporting requirements and administrative hurdles to maintain coverage.

These federal policy changes are coming as many students already struggle to meet basic expenses. As the provisions phase in over several years, they are likely to add state administrative and regulatory burdens and new challenges. Helping students understand eligibility, connect to public benefits, and maintain access will be increasingly important to supporting their ability to complete college.

A Strong Foundation for Supporting Student Basic Needs

Fortunately, the CUNY system is not starting from scratch. Over many years, CUNY has developed a range of programs designed to help students who struggle financially.

• Food pantries are present on almost all campuses, offer flexible hours, provide immediate assistance to students experiencing food insecurity, and helped fill the gap with additional resources when the federal government paused the SNAP program in fall 2025.
• Emergency assistance grants are available across CUNY campuses for housing, transportation, medical, childcare, technology, or other urgent needs. Historically funded by foundations and donors, the New York FY27 state budget included a line item for $1 million in emergency grants for the first time, with $400,000 earmarked for CUNY.
• Resource Centers exist across campuses as a centralized location for students to access information about supportive services such as food pantries, public assistance programs, mental health services, childcare, and healthcare services.
• Opportunity programs provide holistic student support beyond emergency assistance, combining financial assistance with academic advising, counseling, tutoring, and peer guidance.
• CUNY Educate, Develop, Graduate, Empower (EDGE) works in partnership with the New York City Department of Social Services’ Human Resources Administration (DSS HRA) to connect students who receive cash assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funded program known as Family Assistance, or under the Safety Net Assistance program in New York, with job readiness resources and fellowship opportunities.
• CUNY Comprehensive Access to Resources for Essential Services (CARES), a newer program piloted on Bronx campuses, engages students and community partners to connect CUNY’s diverse student population with resources that meet their needs.

Together, these efforts form a growing basic needs infrastructure that recognizes academic success depends on reliable access to food, housing, healthcare, financial resources, and supportive services. CUNY should continue to grow, scale, and evaluate this infrastructure.

Building on CUNY’s Success: Lessons from Other States

As rising living costs and federal policy changes increase demand for campus-based student supports, protecting, expanding, and evaluating CUNY’s basic needs infrastructure should remain a priority. States across the country are testing approaches that complement CUNY’s existing work and offer ideas for expanding existing models.

Enhanced Access and Awareness Increase Participation

Some states use targeted outreach, including leveraging financial aid data where permitted, to reach students who likely qualify for benefits. Washington state offers high schoolers from families who receive SNAP free tuition at all state public colleges and universities. In New York, passage of the SNAP for Students Act would ensure students receive annual notices from multiple sources regarding eligibility and resources.

Many states have invested in integrated eligibility systems, allowing students to complete screenings for multiple public benefit programs through a single point of contact. CUNY could feature New York City’s system—NYCBenefits—more prominently system-wide, through its emergency assistance webpages and resource centers, and through the potential development of a one-stop digital portal for all postsecondary education resources for students and families.

Benefits Navigators Facilitate Access

Applying for and maintaining benefits is a separate challenge. Illinois, Oregon, and Washington have higher education systems that employ campus-based benefits navigators. Similar to what is being piloted through CUNY CARES, navigators help students submit applications, stay in compliance, and appeal denials. Kentucky’s model places navigators employed by the state’s human services agency on community college campuses.

Cross-Sector Partnerships Strengthen Success

Arkansas and California operate programs that link public higher education systems with state agencies to support students receiving cash assistance under TANF. Career counseling, coaching, financial assistance, and work opportunities aim to increase economic self-sufficiency through education. Pennsylvania’s KEYS program, serving students receiving TANF, extends similar supports to some SNAP recipients each year. CUNY could build on its EDGE model by expanding support beyond TANF (Family Assistance) and Safety Net Assistance-eligible students to include students eligible for SNAP, Medicaid, and other benefits programs.

While maintaining data privacy and security, expanding data-sharing to verify enrollment, streamlining eligibility processes, and increasing participation in SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) could help students meet new federal requirements while remaining enrolled.

Looking Ahead

Addressing inequities and meeting students’ basic needs have been core components of CUNY’s educational mission. As economic pressures grow and federal benefit policies become more complex, investments in emergency aid, opportunity programs, and benefits access will become increasingly important. Building on these efforts through sustained funding, continued innovation and evaluation, and stronger connections to public benefits can help ensure that more students not only enroll in college, but successfully earn degrees that lead to financial independence and economic mobility.