NASPA Launches Student ARC: A Website to Build a Community of Practice around Emergency Aid

Washington, DC – NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education has launched a new website to support institutions that desire to or currently offer emergency financial resources to students in need. The website, which is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, builds upon existing research from NASPA’s published report, Landscape Analysis of Emergency Aid Programs.

Emergency aid is an increasingly common strategy institutions use to provide more timely support to college students who face an unexpected financial crisis, which could hinder their ability to persist from one term to the next. The aid is mainly offered through small, timely disbursements of funds in the form of grants, loans, vouchers, or scholarships, as well as humanitarian support, such as on-campus food pantries and temporary housing.

Student ARC: Advancing Retention in College will facilitate a national imperative around the use of emergency aid as a critical strategy for increasing degree completion. The website will be an online hub for information and tools regarding the efficacy of emergency aid programs, including examples of strong programs, and strategies for building, sustaining, and expanding such efforts.

“Student ARC provides an opportunity for institutions to learn from each other and assess their readiness to scale their emergency aid programs,” said NASPA President Kevin Kruger. “The website is a timely resource, especially as institutions seek more ways to provide holistic support for students.”

Discussions on the Student ARC website will involve higher education stakeholders including administrators, funders, researchers, and policymakers. For example, the website features interviews with higher education leaders to describe the opportunities and challenges of providing emergency aid at scale.

To learn more about emergency aid and Student ARC, visit: https://studentarc.org/

About NASPA

NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Our work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people – especially those with the fewest resources – have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman and Cochair William H. Gates, Sr. under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.