First-Generation and Parenting Students Persist at Higher Rates When Colleges Address Root Causes of Insecurity

Lumpkin, L. (2026, June 18). How 3 colleges are meeting students’ basic needs. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2026/06/18/how-3-colleges-are-meeting-students-basic-needs

Introduction

Basic needs insecurity continues to challenge college students nationally, and institutions are responding by expanding efforts to connect students with resources that support well-being and persistence. The Inside Higher Ed piece published June 18, 2026, highlights the scale of the problem: a recent analysis from the Institute for Higher Education Policy found that Pell Grant recipients are nearly twice as likely to experience food insecurity as non-recipients, and student parents between ages 35 and 39 with school-age children experienced an eviction-filing rate of 22 percent—double the rate of their nonstudent peers.

Methods

The author profiles three institutions with distinct program models, drawing on institutional data, enrollment figures, and direct quotes from campus leadership and students.

Results

Three programs across three institutions tell a coherent story about what “meeting students where they are” actually looks like in practice. The University of Mount Saint Vincent runs Dax House program, which serves more than 90 students annually—most of them low-income, BIPOC, female, and first-generation—and reports a 94 percent persistence rate. The program operates four residences in New York City, with around 20 beds total, and combines stable housing with case management. Generations College launched a Single Parent Scholarship in 2020, awarding up to $3,500 per semester to full-time, Pell-eligible single parents who maintain at least a 2.5 GPA, and this year nearly 90 scholarships were awarded. Austin Community College (ACC) uses a first-dollar tuition model paired with wraparound supports. Unlike last-dollar programs, ACC covers tuition and fees before financial aid is applied, freeing need-based grants for living expenses like housing, transportation, and food. These financial support programs and their outcomes demonstrate that wraparound support predict whether students stay enrolled.

Discussion

ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart frames it simply: “When we can remove basic needs barriers and make college affordable, students are much more likely to complete. And when you add free tuition on top of that, those two things become the most significant predictors of whether students will be successful.” The data from these programs suggest that the most effective programs layer multiple supports rather than relying on a single fix like a food pantry.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

It is important that mentors working with low-income, first-generation, or parenting students recognize that persistence isn’t just about academic preparation. Students who lack stable housing or childcare are fighting battles that no amount of coaching can compensate for if basic needs are not met. Mentoring programs should assess students’ basic needs early and maintain warm referral pipelines to institutional and community resources. The Dax House model, in particular, demonstrates that combining housing stability with case management helps disadvantaged students persistent at considerably higher levels. Mentoring programs could embed these considerations by implementing regular check-ins about non-academic stressors.

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