Students Are Humans First: Advancing Basic Needs Security in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated the challenging situation fac-ing many students in colleges and universities in the United States. To promote student success and address equity issues in higher education, there is an urgent need to treat students as humans first and attend to their basic needs. In this essay, I present evidence pointing to the fact that the pandemic has made student basic needs insecurity even worse. However, well designed and successfully implemented emergency aid programs and other innovative interventions with equity at the center can help address problems in student basic needs insecurity. I present successful examples in addressing student basic needs insecurity and call for sustained and bold actions.