New Arizona Board of Regents report details how Arizona’s public universities are connecting essential needs support to student success

For many students at Arizona's public universities, a single unexpected expense can be the difference between finishing a semester and leaving school. Staying on track to earn a degree depends on more than admission, financial aid and strong teaching. It also depends on whether students have access to food, housing, transportation, health care, technology and someone to turn to if a crisis occurs.

A new Arizona Board of Regents report, the 2026 Student Essential Needs Report, looks at the evidence linking those essential needs to students’ success in school.

Since 2020-21, when student regents launched a board-approved work group on food insecurity and housing, the board has steadily expanded its focus on student essential needs and well-being. That work led to an annual requirement that each university report how it helps students meet basic needs, from on-campus programs and outreach to campuswide events and surveys.

This year’s report expands the review of student essential needs to include mental health needs and resources. The report outlines priorities for student mental health, including strengthening a culture of care, simplifying access to support, expanding peer support, supporting faculty and staff, and using shared data and student feedback to guide improvement.

"When we help students meet their basic needs and connect them with support, we improve their  chances to finish what they started,” said ABOR Chair Doug Goodyear. “That's good for them, their families and Arizona."

The stakes reach beyond campus. Arizona has set a goal for 60% of working-age adults to hold a postsecondary credential by 2030, and about 49% do today. Keeping students enrolled through graduation is central to closing that gap.

The report cites research that associates unmet essential needs with disrupted enrollment, lower academic performance, and reduced completion. Student listening sessions led by the student regents provided additional perspective: participants described financial strain, academic demands and a sense of belonging as interconnected concerns and recommend making campus resources easier to find.

"When I talk with fellow students, what I hear most often is students are unsure on where to find help," said Student Regent Felipe Garcia. "The most valuable thing our system can do is connect students to that help early, before a short-term disruption turns into a missed semester."

Each university organizes its essential needs support differently, reflecting its student populations, geography, institutional structures and local community resources. Approaches vary, but the goal is the same: helping students address disruptions before the disruptions lead to a dropped class, a missed term or a departure from college.

• At Arizona State University, a "no wrong door" approach means a student can ask for help at any campus office and be referred to Student Advocacy and Assistance, which connects them with food, housing, emergency funds and community resources. This academic year, ASU is expanding its Student Crisis Fund to cover technology and transportation and is lowering the minimum credit load students need to qualify. ASU's spring 2026 student health survey found that food insecurity among its students fell 8.1% and very low food security fell 15.4%. Nationally, those measures fell 3.1% and 3%.
• Northern Arizona University's Lumberjack CARE Center puts help in one place, with a food pantry, meal swipes, emergency funds, laptop loans and case management. Students at NAU's Desert Campuses and online can use its services virtually. Housing in Flagstaff costs 50% more than the national average, and the center helps students manage that pressure. In summer 2026, staff used case management and emergency aid to resolve housing crises for nine students. NAU is also expanding mental health-related case management to streamline access to counseling and psychiatric services in the same place students get help with food, housing and money.
• The University of Arizona moved its basic needs programs under one roof, placing the Basic Needs Center, CARE Team, Financial Wellness and Fostering Success within the Dean of Students Office. A student facing eviction can now get case management, financial coaching and emergency housing in a single conversation instead of being sent from office to office. U of A plans to build on that change with a Student Assistance Hub next to its One Stop Center. As of fall 2026, counseling is free for all main-campus students.

"Universities cannot address essential needs alone, but this research, which includes students' own voices, helps us better support them," said Chad Sampson, ABOR executive director. "Whether it's meal support, a loaned laptop or emergency housing assistance, we want to help students navigate disruptions and continue their education."