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Developing a Policy Framework for Well-being and Success of College Students Experiencing Basic Needs Insecurity
Research Team
Principal Investigator: Milad Mohebali
Funding Information
Funding Agency: Office of Research and Innovation—Layman Award
Award Date: Aug 1, 2025
End Date: Jul 31, 2026
Abstract
An alarming number of college students experience basic needs insecurity as they navigate complex and uncertain policy contexts to get by, earn a degree and get ahead.
While existing research has examined the extent and impacts of basic needs among college students, little research is available on how these students navigate shifting and uncertain policy contexts in and outside of college.
This study fills this gap by addressing the following research questions: What policy contexts, in and outside of college, affect the daily lives of students experiencing basic needs insecurity, and how?
During the 2025-26 academic year, researchers will conduct in-depth interviews and collect participants’ life maps and site-visit field notes, along with relevant policy documents as they relate to programs, institutions and community contexts where students live, work and study. Participants will include 30 college students from diverse backgrounds who self-identify as experiencing basic needs insecurity, each studying in different geographic and institutional settings in Nebraska.
Findings from this pilot project will help develop an innovative policy framework, critical for informing the design and implementation of policies and programs that are efficient and effective in addressing basic needs insecurity on college campuses and improve well-being and college success outcomes among these vulnerable populations.
This study will also generate two extramural funding proposals — Spencer Foundation and W.T. Grant Foundation — and a high-impact journal article on policy analysis around poverty and uncertainty in higher education.