CHEPP, "Does Basic Needs Funding Improve Persistence Among College Students? Findings on How HEERF Dollars Impacted Student Persistence at SNHU"
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A paper from the Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP), Does Basic Needs Funding Improve Persistence Among College Students? Findings on How HEERF Dollars Impacted Student Persistence at SNHU, the second of a two-part series on Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants at Southern New Hampshire University. The executive summary recalls that the first paper, published in October 2022, detailed SNHU's distribution of $107 million in HEERF dollars to 51,257 qualified learners, a 7.6% application rate among potentially eligible students. This paper examines whether HEERF had a significant positive impact on learner persistence among a sample of recipients (n=47,381).
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“CHEPP, ‘Does Basic Needs Funding Improve Persistence Among College Students? Findings on How HEERF Dollars Impacted Student Persistence at SNHU.’”
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DOES BASIC NEEDS FUNDING IMPROVE
PERSISTENCE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS?
FINDINGS ON HOW HEERF DOLLARS
IMPACTED STUDENT PERSISTENCE AT SNHU
Executive Summary
In October 2022, the Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice (CHEPP) published the first of a two-part series on the use
and impact of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and the
national challenge of accessing basic needs for today’s learners. The first paper, Basic Needs Funding for College Students: What
SNHU Learned During the Pandemic, detailed learnings from SNHU’s distribution of $107 million in HEERF dollars to 51,257
qualified learners, a sample which represented a mere 7.6% application rate among potentially eligible students. Housing, food,
and transportation were identified as the greatest basic needs challenges for learners based on an analysis of the data.
This paper examines whether HEERF had a significant positive impact on learner persistence among a sample of learners from
the initial population of HEERF recipients at SNHU (n=47,381). It includes data and analysis on the impact of emergency
grants and basic needs programs on persistence for higher education students to inform national policy discussions related to
expanding learner access to such supports.
Key Takeaways
+ Three out of five learners among a national sample (n=195,000) experienced basic needs insecurities in Fall
2020 (The Hope Center, 2021). The national impact of unmet basic needs on college persistence and success
is not yet quantifiable. However, there is evidence that unmet basic needs negatively impacts learner outcomes,
making the basic needs support gap an urgent challenge facing higher education and our nation.
+ Data indicates that emergency grants contributed to learners’ academic persistence at SNHU. Students enrolled
at SNHU who received HEERF emergency grants (n=47,381) were more likely to stay enrolled in the next term,
when compared with control groups. Specifically, HEERF II recipients were 15.5% more likely to stay enrolled
and HEERF III recipients were 8.6% more likely to stay enrolled.
+ As a result of these findings, SNHU approved funding to pilot an emergency grant program for learners in need.
This pilot was conducted during the 2023 Spring and Summer terms. Findings from the pilot will be used to
inform future projects related to this topic at SNHU.
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Basic Needs Supports Appear Critical to Keeping Students Enrolled in College
During the pandemic, SNHU received a total of $107 million in HEERF grants and distributed all of the funds directly to 51,257
qualifying learners in the form of emergency grants to support basic needs. Housing, food, and transportation were identified
as the greatest needs among recipients.1 This paper examines the question of whether $76.7 million disbursed to 47,381
learners among this same sample of HEERF recipients had a clear impact on term-over-term persistence at SNHU.
Learners continue to be viewed as traditional-aged college students (18-22 years old) with sufficient funds to cover food,
housing, transportation, and other basic needs. In reality, a growing number of today’s learners are housing and food insecure,
do not have transportation, childcare, or other necessities. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice has been
fielding a national survey that collects data on basic needs challenges among college students, the #RealCollege Survey, since
2015. According to the Fall 2020 survey (n=195,000), three out of five respondents experienced basic needs insecurity, 48%
experienced housing insecurity, 14% were affected by homelessness, and 29% of four-year and 39% of two-year students
experienced food insecurity (The Hope Center, 2021).
And yet, many of today’s learners are unqualified to receive or face too many barriers to access existing aid and support.
Many learners fall through the cracks of eligibility thresholds for available supports across federal financial aid, housing, and
food programs, both in terms of the amount of funding available as well as the procedural deadlines and requirements. The
U.S. government distributes over $22 billion in Title IV funding nationally each year (including both grants and loans), but the
majority goes to tuition, with very little left to help with students’ basic needs (Department of Education, 2021). And though
U.S. government housing and food programs are intended to support U.S. residents in need, many students do not meet the
‘need’ thresholds to qualify and in some cases are left out of these programs entirely. When students are eligible, they often
do not know about the benefits, or how to apply. As an example, a recent study showed 18 states did not post information on
expanded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for college students on their websites (The Hope Center,
2022).2 The rigidity of deadlines and eligibility thresholds for both federal financial aid, as well as food and housing programs,
leave many students struggling to afford housing, food, transportation, childcare, and other essential needs while they work
towards a higher degree or credential.
Critical Learning on Students’ Basic Needs Support: How HEERF Impacted Persistence at SNHU
The pandemic and the national distribution of more than $6 billion in HEERF funds created new opportunities for higher
education leaders across the country to understand the needs of their students and learn about the impact of basic needs
support on student persistence and retention. In 2022, SNHU conducted an internal analysis on the impact of HEERF
dollars on learners to better understand whether just-in-time grants positively impacted learner persistence during the
pandemic.
Through a coordinated effort across student experience, operations and emergency triage teams, SNHU designed a research
project to examine whether HEERF award recipients were more likely to stay enrolled during subsequent terms than control
groups. The results are provided in the tables below. The findings of the study show improved persistence outcomes resulting
from the award of HEERF funds.
1
Findings are detailed in CHEPP’s first white paper in this series, Basic Needs Funding for College Students: What SNHU Learned
During the Pandemic (available on www.chepp.org) Table 1: (2021) HEERF II Recipient & Controls, Enrollment Rates
2
It’s also worth noting that full-time college students are not eligible for SNAP benefits outside of the expanded benefits offered
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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From SNHU’s total distribution of $107 million from HEERF, the study examined the impact of $76.7 million disbursed to
47,381 students in two broad campaigns. The first was in 2021 (HEERF II) and the second was in 2022 (HEERF III). HEERF
II recipients (learners receiving funds disbursed in Groups A, B and C in Table 1 below) were overall 15.5% more likely to be
enrolled at the end of the observation period than matched controls (please see Table 1 below). HEERF III recipients (learners
receiving funds disbursed in Groups D and E in Table 2 below) were overall 8.6% more likely to be enrolled at the end of the
observation period than non-recipient controls (please see Table 2 below).
Table 1: (2021) HEERF II Recipient & Controls, Enrollment Rates
Disbursement Group Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4
Group A Funded 100% 92% 79% 72%
Not Funded 98% 76% 63% 58%
Increase in Persistence
Among Funded Students 2% 16% 16% 14%
Group B Funded 96% 84% 75%
Not Funded 91% 73% 66%
Increase in Persistence
Among Funded Students 5% 11% 9%
Group C Funded 90% 79%
Not Funded 85% 76%
Increase in Persistence
Among Funded Students 5% 3%
Overall Increase in Persistence Among Funded
Students Across Groups A, B, and C 15.5%
SNHU’s online undergraduate programs consist of six 8-week terms per year.
3
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The just-in-time grants may have been effective in addressing the complexity and range of basic needs issues facing learners
who are enrolled and working to meet the requirements of their degree programs. For example, SNHU’s student Cares team
(also known as the Cares and Risk Assessment team) is dedicated to working directly with students to help address their
concerns. In recent years, the Cares team has observed an uptick in housing insecurity, domestic violence and mental health
issues among learners, often intertwined with basic needs issues. Additionally, SNHU students face a variety of technological
and digital challenges. Many students start taking their online coursework with only a phone or an iPad and need access to a
computer or broadband internet. Or, when technology breaks, there are many students without transportation or other basic
needs resources to support their ability to continue taking coursework with SNHU.
As a result of this data, SNHU approved a pilot to provide basic needs support through just-in-time grants. The pilot was
conducted during the 2023 Spring and Summer terms to provide any learner in need support for their basic needs and help
them persist and succeed in their studies. While outcomes are still being analyzed, findings from the pilot will be used to
inform future projects related to this topic at SNHU.
Table 2: (2022) HEERF III Recipient & Controls, Enrollment Rates
Disbursement Group Term 5 Term 6 Term 7
Funded 88% 81% 71%
Group D Not Funded 87% 76% 65%
Increase in Persistence 1% 5% 6%
Among Funded Students
Funded 83% 73%
Group E Not Funded 79% 67%
Increase in Persistence 4% 6%
Among Funded Students
Overall Increase in Persistence Among Funded
Students Across Groups D & E 8.6%
SNHU’s online undergraduate programs consist of six 8-week terms per year.
4
Sidebox 1: Methods for the Research Study on How HEERF Impacted Student Persistence at SNHU
To evaluate the impact of emergency grant funding, controls were selected from populations of students who did
not receive funding but had characteristics similar to funded students. The persistence effect was assessed by
comparing enrollment rates in the terms immediately following the end of each campaign. The results in Tables 1
and 2 above show the respective outcomes for test (i.e., funded) and control (i.e., non-funded) groups.
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The Positive Impact of Basic Needs Grants on Student Persistence at SNHU are Mirrored in National Trends
National trends mirror the findings at SNHU and appear to affirm that there is a positive correlation between basic needs
support and persistence towards a higher level degree or credential. According to the largest mixed methods study of students’
basic needs overall, college success relies upon learners having their needs met (California State University Basic Needs
Initiative, 2018). Separate studies have shown that the effect of specific basic needs supports on persistence are also positive.
The research appears to affirm that when specific needs are met, learners are more likely to succeed. For example, food
insecure students are more likely to withdraw or fail courses (Mechler et al., 2021), transportation supports have been shown to
increase the likelihood that students will stay enrolled in the subsequent semester and the following academic year, complete
more credits, and earn a credential (Clay et al., 2021), and rent-free housing and community living for students raised retention
and graduation for learners in their next semester (Perez-Felkner et al, 2022).
Current Approaches to Just-in-Time Grants and Basic Needs Supports for Learners
Since learners’ basic needs issues range from housing and food insecurity, transportation challenges, mental health and
healthcare support, to childcare needs and more, it can be challenging for higher education policymakers and leaders to
know the best approach for providing support. In Basic Needs Funding for College Students: What SNHU Learned During the
Pandemic,5 a sample of 10 different efforts to advance basic needs resources for learners was identified. Based on this sample,
there are three emerging approaches to providing basic needs supports for today’s learners:
1. Emergency Grants: Emergency grants, typically ranging from $300-$2,000, are provided for the purpose of giving
students the funds they need for various basic needs, including health care, mental health services, housing, food and
childcare.
2. Direct Services: These are services provided directly by the university or college to learners, such as free or subsidized
student housing, food pantry items or subsidized meals, subsidized transportation, mental health services and childcare.
3. Basic Needs Coordinators: Staff employed by the state, university/college or other entity that help learners understand
the basic needs supports that are available to them and help them apply.
Across all three types of support, there may be challenges with implementation and offering holistic services that can truly meet
a range of needs. For example, emergency grants are limited due to the restriction that they cannot exceed the total cost of
attendance without impacting federal financial aid awards.6 This creates barriers to sustained funding. Other examples include
basic needs coordinators being limited in their ability to meet learners’ immediate needs when working within deadlines set by
external programs, and direct service supports sometimes being too specific to address a diverse set of needs. Each of these
approaches also face budgetary restrictions since they require staffing and sustainable funding.
White paper available on www.chepp.org
5
6
If the FAFSA Simplification Act is implemented as anticipated, it would remove requirements around cost of attendance as it
relates to emergency grant funding, (see p. 24)
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46909#:~:text=The%20FSA%20amends%20the%20indicator’s,a%20
federal%20income%20tax%20return
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Conclusion and Key Questions for Future Research
Evidence of basic needs supports positively impacting learner persistence is compelling and suggests the need for sustaining
programs that help meet students’ basic needs while enrolled. While there are a myriad of options and approaches for supporting
learners’ basic needs, just-in-time grants appear to be one way to offer a flexible measure that can support a variety of learner
needs. However, additional research is needed that examines the following questions:
• What are the most effective approaches to ongoing basic needs support for students? Are there ways to systematically
identify learners who require basic needs support during their application for financial aid?
• What are the most effective ways to fund basic needs supports for learners? How can programs ensure that resources
are delivered when learners need them most and that measures of basic needs program success are tied to learner
persistence and success?
• How do basic needs requirements vary by geographic location? By student demographics? Can differentiated basic
needs programming and outreach efforts help bridge the gaps for learners facing unique and complex challenges?
• How should we ensure that learners are accessing the federal means tested benefits that they may be eligible for?
• Inefficiencies in the system are often caused by definitions about need (i.e., food insecurity and housing) that vary by
state and institution of higher education. If there were shifts to support students’ basic needs at the federal level, such
as automatic enrollment for benefits, might there be an opportunity to align and unite efforts across state lines and
institutions to ensure more seamless disbursement of support?
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the following colleagues at SNHU for their collaboration and partnership in developing this white paper:
Catherine Alessi, Siesonn Fontaine, Timothy Lehmann, Margreth Mpossi, and Sahil Singhal.
THE CENTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY AND PRACTICE | 7
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https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/basic-needs-initiative/Documents/BasicNeedsStudy_
phaseII_withAccessibilityComments.pdf
Clay, Janelle R., Valentine, Jessa L. “Impact of Transportation Supports on Students’ Academic Outcomes: A Quasi-
Experimental Study of the U-Pass at Rio Hondo College.” The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and DVP-
PRAXIS. (September 2021).
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Hilliard, Tom, and Hobbs, Denisha. “Best Kept Secrets: The Federal Government Expanded SNAP Eligibility for College
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https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/caresact.html
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