The University of California has called upon Congress to quickly pass federal legislation that would help the nation’s colleges and universities address student needs for basic essentials, including food, housing and childcare.
Nearly a quarter of the nation’s college students face food insecurity, according to a 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued this summer.
The Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act, introduced on Sept. 18 by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and U.S. Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Calif.-35), would establish a $1B competitive grant program to help institutions of higher education identify and meet the basic needs of their students.
“For far too many students whose families aren’t able to help them cover tuition or rent, a return to campus means having to figure out how to juggle classwork and jobs while affording everything from meals to housing to health care,” said Sen. Padilla. “It’s not enough just to get our kids to school. We need to create a student social safety net that sets them up for success. By establishing a billion-dollar competitive grant program through the BASIC Act, we can help institutions meet the basic needs of students nationwide.”
“Students should never have to choose between buying books or buying food, safe housing or medical care,” said Rep. Torres. “As college costs rise, the BASIC Act addresses these challenges by fostering collaboration among federal agencies and supporting colleges in identifying and aiding students in need. It also focuses on gathering crucial data on food and housing insecurity. As a mother and grandmother, this issue is deeply personal to me. This bill will help ensure that all students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can succeed without compromising their well-being.”
Grants could be used for research, planning or implementation of programs, including strategies to educate students on the availability of federal, state and tribal assistance programs.
Addressing student basic needs is a central pillar in how the University of California is working to close academic achievement gaps and ensure that all enrolled students, regardless of income or background, get the support they need to succeed, said Ruben E. Canedo, co-director of education and training for the UC Essential Needs Consortium.
“It is imperative that we work to address the basic needs of contemporary students, so they have the ability to thrive and obtain a degree,” Canedo said. “The University of California supports the Basic Assistance for Students in College Act, which would allow the Department of Education to establish a competitive grant program for the scaling up and expansion of basic needs resources on college campuses across the country. This has been a decade-long UC priority. The BASIC Act would go a long way in providing students with the essential needs to persist in higher education.”
Yamileth Maldonado, UC Student Association (UCSA) government relations vice chair and a UC Berkeley undergraduate, agreed.
“The quality of education that students receive relies on their quality of life, which is further reduced when they don’t have access to basic living necessities such as food, stable housing and adequate health care,” said Maldonado. “The University of California Student Association supports the BASIC Act because it represents a crucial step in the right direction to ensure that every student attending a UC has guaranteed access to these necessities.”
The BASIC Act was originally born out of congressional advocacy started by UC in 2018. UC, UCSA and UC’s Global Food Initiative leadership worked closely to help refine the legislation, and the first iteration of the BASIC Act was introduced in Congress in 2019 — and it has been reintroduced each Congress since.
The endorsement is part of a larger UC effort to address food and housing insecurity among its own students. It has opened Basic Needs centers on all 10 of its campuses, featuring food pantries and other support services, including help with emergency housing.
A 2024 report found that UC is making good progress, and provided basic needs support to 65,000 students in 2022-23. It also found that challenges persist, as students and their families rebound from the economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BASIC Act would prioritize grants for institutions that serve high percentages of students who qualify for federal Pell Grants, an aid program for low-income students. One quarter of the funding would be designated for community colleges and another quarter for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions.
Although the BASIC Act has not been signed into law, funding for a pilot program based off the UC-supported BASIC Act has been funded in the federal budget the last four years.
