Linking Basic Needs to Persistence

By Siobhan Lopez

In its commitment to supporting learners in all areas of their higher education journey, Southern New Hampshire University is always looking for ways to improve the student experience: whether it be through updating programs to fit workforce needs or to help address any barriers our learners may face on their path to a degree. Launched in 2022, SNHU’s Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP) seeks to advance higher ed policy for all students, not just at SNHU, by collaborating with policymakers to develop scalable, sustainable policy solutions from a learner-centered perspective. One area CHEPP is focused on is the importance of students having their basic needs met to stay enrolled and succeed in their studies. In a two-part series, CHEPP examines the use and impact of federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants at SNHU during the pandemic and the national challenge of accessing basic needs for today’s learners.

Released in the fall of 2022, the first report in the series, Basic Needs Funding for College Students: What Southern New Hampshire University Learned During the Pandemic, detailed SNHU’s findings that students’ most identified basic needs in 2020 were housing, food, and transportation. SNHU received a total of $107 million in HEERF support and distributed the funding in three waves as emergency basic needs grants to over 50,000 students. While HEERF funds could be used for institutional needs, SNHU chose to pass all the aid directly to students. SNHU students who received support reported the emergency funding came just in time and helped them persist in their academic programs.

While the federal funding helped students stay enrolled during a national crisis, many of the learners SNHU serves continue to have similar needs as we have emerged from the pandemic.

“Just as these needs existed before the pandemic, they are certainly existing post-pandemic, particularly as individuals feel the cost of living continue to rise,” the report said. “Reducing barriers to access and creating more efficient means for learners to access funds, such as through automatic eligibility across programs or through applying for financial aid, will be essential to ensuring funds are reaching those who need them.”

The latest paper released in October 2023, Does Basic Needs Funding Improve Persistence Among College Students? Findings on How HEERF Dollars Impacted Student Persistence at SNHU, examined whether HEERF funding had a significant positive impact on learner persistence, and found SNHU students who received grants during the second round were 15.5% more likely to still be enrolled eight months later than those who didn’t get emergency funding. While the difference decreased following the third round of funding, recipients were still 8.6% more likely to be enrolled.

As a result of these findings, SNHU approved funding to pilot an emergency grant program for learners in need. Findings from the pilot conducted during the 2023 spring and summer terms will be used to inform future projects related to this topic at SNHU. CHEPP’s advocacy around improving basic needs funding for learners continues through additional research and educating policymakers and the public on the issue’s link to student persistence.

CHEPP also recently launched a new 50-state map outlining SNHU’s “new traditional” learners across the country. Higher education learners look very different than they did decades ago, with fewer traditional-aged high school graduates and more older adults balancing work and family with their education. The map will be a helpful resource for the CHEPP team, policymakers, the media, partners, and more to understand the complexities facing adult learners today and how we can help more students succeed.

To learn more about the work being done by The Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice, visit chepp.org.