ERIC Number: ED674927
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 48
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Basic Needs Oregon: Strengthening Student Success through Campus-Based Support
Leanne Davis; Da'Shon Carr; Rachel Maller
Online Submission
Basic Needs Oregon was established in 2021 through House Bill 2835 to ensure that students enrolled at Oregon's public colleges and universities can meet their basic needs--including food, housing, health care, transportation, and emergency financial support--so they can persist and succeed in higher education. Drawing on Basic Needs Oregon statewide student metrics, quarterly navigator reports, and qualitative student stories, this report documents the program's implementation and outcomes during the 2023-2025 biennium, focusing on how benefits navigators embedded on every campus supported students, expanded institutional capacity, and contributed to statewide learning. Between July 2023 and March 2025, benefits navigators served 30,865 students across 17 community colleges and 7 public universities. Nearly half of identified needs related to food insecurity, followed by transportation, housing, and emergency financial assistance. Community colleges more often supported transportation and housing needs, while universities addressed more food-related needs. Student demographic data from community colleges showed that Latinx, Black, and women students were disproportionately represented among those served, reflecting the program's role in reaching students furthest from opportunity. Findings highlight that students who accessed navigator support were better able to stabilize their housing, secure food and health care, and remain focused on academics. Navigators also built partnerships with community organizations and government agencies, reduced stigma associated with seeking support, and contributed to statewide advocacy efforts through a consortium structure. However, challenges included limited operational funding beyond navigator salaries, capacity constraints among local service providers, and inconsistent data systems. The report concludes with recommendations to sustain and strengthen the program, including ensuring flexible and ongoing funding, institutionalizing the statewide consortium, expanding partnerships, implementing student feedback loops, improving data infrastructure, and aligning with state equity and workforce development goals. [This document was created by Basic Needs Oregon and funded by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.]
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Oregon
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A


