Rising costs of living and increasing student housing rates have exacerbated college retention efforts as campus leaders look to tackle a rising concern: basic needs insecurity.  

A lack of essential resources such as food, housing and clothing and general financial strain are two of the top reasons students say they leave college.  

To address this issue and provide resources to students, the University of Houston opened its Center for Student Advocacy and Community in 2020, which houses some of the university’s essential needs programs. I spoke with the center’s director and assistant director about the relationship between student success and basic needs and how to promote resources across campus. 

In this episode, host Ashley Mowreader speaks with the University of Houston’s director, Michael Crook, and associate director, Kevin Nguyen, of the Center for Student Advocacy and Community to learn more about how the center operates, the ties between basic needs and student success and some of the center’s future goals. 

Hosted by Inside Higher Ed Student Success Reporter Ashley Mowreader. Read a transcript of the podcast here.