info@wsac.wa.gov | (360) 753-7800

Our Strategy: Basic Needs

Learn about the 2024 Washington basic needs survey findings: Executive Summary | Full Report

Washington’s college students have urgent and unmet basic needs 

Basic needs insecurity—which encompasses a lack of access to affordable housing, food, healthcare, and childcare—is a critical barrier that can undermine persistence and completion rates for postsecondary students. The urgent impacts of the recent pandemic and economic crises have shone a light on postsecondary students’ basic needs insecurity, but this is a long-term and persistent challenge. 

Despite Washington’s strong state financial assistance programs, there is still often a gap for students with low incomes between financial aid amounts and their actual costs for foundational needs, above and beyond tuition. These pressures are worsened by inflation and rising rents across the state. Decades ago, some students may have been able to cover costs through employment earnings. However, national data shows that even students working part- or full-time are not insulated from basic needs insecurity.

In Washington, we now know that basic needs insecurity is not just a challenge for a small percentage of students. According to 2024 Washington survey data, over half of students reported struggling with housing and food instability: 

  • 44% experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days.
  • 34% experienced housing insecurity in the prior year.
  • 11% experienced homelessness in the prior year.

Even higher percentages of basic needs insecurity were reported by students who experienced foster care or homelessness in high school (84%), students with low incomes (70%), students with dependents (68%), students living with a disability (65%), and first-generation students (63%).    

WSAC’s strategic challenge 

WSAC’s role is to build strategies and catalyze partnerships to address postsecondary basic needs issues in Washington:

  • Increase understanding of the prevalence and dynamics of basic needs insecurity and the strategies to address it.
  • Convene stakeholders to identify policy barriers, spotlight innovative partnerships, create learning exchanges, and build networks for solutions across education and community sectors.
  • Develop and implement policy and related practice to address basic needs.

Get involved

WSAC is working with partners on and off campuses to learn about and strengthen supports for students. 

  • Basic Needs Navigation
  • Basic Needs Strategic Planning
  • Washington Basic Needs Survey
  • Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness
  • Basic Needs Learning Community
  • Food Security Pilot
  • Postsecondary Basic Needs Convenings
  • Health-Related Grants

Navigation

Navigation

All public postsecondary institutions are required to have a Benefits Navigator with the 2023 Washington’s Postsecondary Basic Needs Act (Second Substitute House Bill 1559).

Navigation staff can participate in a statewide network of peers for training, practice sharing, and recommendations development.

Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning

With the 2023 Washington’s Postsecondary Basic Needs Act (Second Substitute House Bill 1559), all public postsecondary institutions are required to create a Hunger Free and Basic Needs Strategic Plan. Institutions will provide a joint report to the Legislature on the outcomes of their planned activities in 2025.

Institutional leads preparing their basic needs strategic plans can access resources and templates to build their plans, as well as recordings from a 2023 Learning Community focusing on plan development.

Basic Needs Survey

Basic Needs Survey

Learn about the 2024 Washington basic needs survey findings: Executive Summary. | Full Report

All public institutions participated in the 2024 Washington Student Experience Survey, a census survey on basic needs, as required by the Postsecondary Basic Needs Act (2SHB 1559 2023).

To learn more:

What’s the prevalence of unmet basic needs in Washington?

In Fall 2024, all public postsecondary institutions will participate in a census survey assessing the prevalence of students’ basic needs insecurity and use of campus and community resources. Additional institutions are welcome to participate in the survey. This survey is required in the Postsecondary Basic Needs Act (2SHB 1559 2023), and builds on the 2022 survey initiative. For more information, contact Ami Magisos: Amim@wsac.wa.gov. 

In Fall 2022, 39 Washington colleges and universities participated in the first state-wide basic needs security survey, administered by Western Washington University in partnership with Washington Student Achievement Council.

Read the 2022 Executive Summary and Report.

State and regional data on unmet basic needs can help Washington more effectively tackle basic needs barriers to postsecondary attainment by:

  • Increasing awareness of the true scale of basic needs insecurity, particularly in communities and education sectors where it may be “invisible” or counter to popular perception
  • Pointing to disparate impacts in particular student populations through the lenses of student status, race/ethnicity, veteran or employment status, etc.  
  • Serving as an advocacy tool for data-driven solutions on campus, regional, and state levels. 

This survey and report are made possible through the 2021 Basic Needs Data Work Group, which proposed a first-in-the-nation coordinated, regular survey across all Washington higher education institutions.  With representatives from multiple CTCs and baccalaureate institutions facilitated by WSAC, the Work Group built consensus that critical basic needs data can drive change in institutions, regions, and the state. They developed a data collection instrument and an implementation proposal that built on current campus assessment efforts as well as national best practices. 

Homelessness Grant

Homelessness Grant

Washington’s Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) Pilot was enacted in 2019 legislation (2SSB 5800). It was made permanent in 2023 and expanded to include all public community colleges and baccalaureate institutions. The grant program is administered by the Washington Student Achievement Council and Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

For information about the SSEH program:

For more information, contact Ami Magisos (amim@wsac.wa.gov).

For more information about this issue see Expanding Access to Housing Support Resources for Postsecondary Students Experiencing Homelessness in Washington and Postsecondary Student Housing Insecurity Resources.

Postsecondary Food Security

Postsecondary Food Security

WSAC is working with partners, including institutions, DSHS, SBCTC, Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition, and United Way of King County, on strategies to increase postsecondary students’ access to food assistance.

Food Security Pilot

To develop and learn from proactive approaches to address food insecurity among postsecondary student populations, the 2023 Washington State Legislature passed into law Second Substitute House Bill 1559 (2023). This legislation includes a new three-year pilot to provide free and low-cost meal plans or food vouchers to eligible low-income students.

Six institutions were selected to participate: Washington State University, Columbia Basin College, and Walla Walla Community College on the Eastside of the state; and Western Washington University, Everett Community College, and Grays Harbor College on the West side. Each pilot institution has a unique pilot project designed to increase students’ access to food through proactive approaches.  

Learn more: Pilot Overview

Projects

  • EBT on Campus Webinar: DSHS experts described the application process to offer SNAP EBT on campus. (Recording) (Presentation)
  • Messaging Toolkit: United Way of King County offers marketing tools for colleges, a website, and a hotline to assist with applications. For more information, contact Sara Seelmeyer at sseelmeyer@uwkc.org.
  • Food Security in Washington Webinar: WSAC and partners hosted a webinar exploring postsecondary food insecurity in Washington. Highlights included strategies and tools to support students. See the recording in the webinars box on this page.

Resources

Convenings

WSAC Convenings on Postsecondary Basic Needs

WSAC convenes stakeholders on supports for postsecondary students’ basic needs. The goals are to identify barriers, spotlight strong practices and effective partnerships, and provide a cross-sector networking opportunity.

For more information: amim@wsac.wa.gov

Convening on January 5, 2023:  Recording and Passcode +QU1@j^.

Cross-sector leaders learned about

  • Urgent new info on the prevalence of basic needs insecurity among Washington college students: Among nearly 10,000 students participating in a fall survey, nearly 1 in 2 have experienced basic needs insecurity in WA colleges and universities, with more than 1 in 10 experiencing homelessness in the past year.
  • Insights and action priorities from Rep. Vandana Slatter (Chair, House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee), student experts Madeline Sprute and Adán Mendoza (Washington Student Association), Christina Wong (Northwest Harvest), and Dr. Brad Baranowski (Grays Harbor College).
  • Proposals for change in 2023 and beyond:  Increased coordination and services, including all postsecondary student in current strategies, and proactive and emergency funds for basic needs.
Archived meeting materials 

January 2023

  • 2023 Postsecondary Basic needs Convening: Recording (passcode +QU1@j^.)

March 25

  • Supporting Students Experiencing Basic Needs Insecurity: Addressing Barriers for Students Living with Disabilities: Recording (Password:  !+bie!0W) (slides transcript)

November 12

  • Wrap-Around Supports: Statewide Learning Community on Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness, November 12 (Recording)

August 20

  • Tacoma Collaborations: Statewide Learning Community on Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness, August 20 (Recording)

July 23

  • Supporting Postsecondary Food Security in Washington, July 23 (Recording)

June 25

  • Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) in Washington, June 25 (Recording)

December 8, 2021

  • Description: Participants discussed Washington’s postsecondary basic needs vision and action agenda, and 2022 legislative proposals.  Participants learned about the new Postsecondary Basic Needs Coalition that launched in January 2022.
  • Recording and Passcode v#zs1!0b

May 20, 2021

  • Description: A panel described advocacy for postsecondary basic needs in the 2021 legislative session:  Joel Ryan, ECEAP; Jude Ahmed, Washington Student Association; Charles Adkins, Everett ReThink Housing Committee; Jamie Traugott, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. College students and leaders engaged with agency and non-profit leaders to give feedback on the new Washington Vision and Action Agenda draft developed by a statewide task force in spring 2021.
  • Presentation

October 15, 2020

  • Description: A policy-maker panel included Representative Barbara Entenman, Senator Emily Randall, Senator Claire Wilson, and Bryce McKibben of U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s office. College students and leaders engaged with agency and non-profit leaders to examine barriers and opportunities to address students’ basic needs.
  • Agenda
  • Recording

2019 Pave the Way Conference

July 2019

Health-Related Grants

Health-Related Grants

Health Vending Machine Grants:

The state legislature funded grants to public postsecondary institutions in Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 to increase availability of overdose prevention supplies and contraception supplies.  More information about this program: 

Health Insurance Navigation Pilot

Medical bills can destabilize postsecondary students’ ability to persist and complete their educational goals. A pilot program to support increased student awareness and enrollment in healthcare insurance was funded for four higher education institutions in the budget for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024. Pilot institutions implemented strategies for student outreach and assistance toward increased health insurance access and coverage in collaboration with Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange.

For more information about the pilot, contact Ami Magisos, Associate Director, amim@wsac.wa.gov and Christine McMullin, SBCTC Policy Associate, cmcmullin@sbctc.edu.

Benefits Promotion

Postsecondary Benefits Promotion Pilot

WSAC launched the Postsecondary Benefits Promotion Pilot in the Academic Year 2024-2025.

Partnering with DSHS, WSAC will create a new data set of students who are likely income-eligible for benefits but not currently receiving them. Fifteen colleges and universities will be using that data for targeted outreach. The goal is to inform and support students in applying for benefits and resources. 

Pilot findings, developed by WSAC and partner Education Northwest, will be available in the fall of 2025. The findings will contribute to an institutional, state, and national understanding of effective practices for connecting students with public benefits and resources.   

More information is available in the Pilot Overview.

Archived resources

Student Consultants

Student Policy Consultants

Student Policy Consultants in 2021 will co-design and co-lead WSAC’s priority postsecondary basic needs initiatives in 2021.  They will work with WSAC staff, postsecondary and community partners to advance:

  • Development of a statewide vision and action agenda on postsecondary basic needs through convening an Advisory Taskforce
  • Development of statewide postsecondary information on unmet basic needs prevalence through convening an Assessment Workgroup
  • Student advocacy efforts in coordination with the Washington Student Association and other partners, with a focus on underrepresented students
  • Communication strategies on postsecondary basic needs
  • Learning opportunities focused on student advocacy and leadership for basic needs.

Learn more about our incredible student consultant team.

Suicide Prevention Grant

The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) administered a partnership grant program that helps resource-challenged postsecondary education institutions create partnerships with health care entities to develop student suicide prevention programs.  

Completed Projects

Senate Bill 6514 authorized the program, which awarded grants to the following postsecondary education institutions in 2019. The final institutional reports are listed below: