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Student Resource Centers at the Community College of Vermont help address basic needs insecurity, including through emergency grants.
Community College of Vermont
Basic needs insecurity and financial challenges can threaten college students’ enrollment and retention, and for a large number of students, one emergency can push them to stop out.
Over half of college students say they would have difficulty finding $500 in cash or credit for an emergency in the next month, and 15 percent of students say it would be impossible to find that money, according to a 2023 study from Trellis Research. A 2022 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse found 35 percent of learners would be very worried about needing to drop out of college due to a financial setback.
To mitigate the threat of financial challenges on student enrollment, the Community College of Vermont (CCV) created a new program that provides just-in-time financial assistance to learners across its 12 campuses. The program, Life Gap Plus, additionally provides community connections and peer support to support long-term thriving.
What’s the need: Life Gap was born out of the realization that students are facing high costs associated with attending college, both directly and indirectly.
“There’s a cost on your bandwidth, you’re putting all your eggs in this education basket, so maybe you’re cutting down your work hours, maybe you’re paying for some extra childcare,” says Liz Jarvis, CCV’s resource access manager. “People are walking a tightrope when it comes to being able to attend school, and there’s a lot that goes into it … Life Gap will cover unexpected emergencies that pop up, those life things, and it fills in those gaps.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities awarded students small amounts of financial aid to support basic needs, courtesy of emergency grant funding from the federal government. Learners who received Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund dollars were more likely to stay enrolled compared to their peers and said the assistance supported their financial and mental health.
HEERF brought increased awareness of the power of financial aid on student retention and persistence, something that some institutions have continued on a smaller scale.
CCV offered Life Gap prior to 2020, Jarvis says, but in the years following, students’ demonstrated need became even more apparent.
A 2020 basic needs survey of CCV students found 61 percent of participants had experienced at least one form of basic needs insecurity, but only 13 percent used emergency financial aid.
How it works: Students are awarded a Life Gap grant to address unexpected emergency expenses, including loss of childcare, unexpected medical concerns, vehicle safety issues or computer or internet difficulties.
To be eligible, students must be enrolled in CCV classes and complete an online application. “They fill out a quick form online, tell us what’s going on, why they need help, and we try to turn the funds around as quickly as possible,” Jarvis says.
The average award is between $150 and the per-student maximum is $500, and CCV awards the money as a direct deposit or a mailed check to the student. The most common needs indicated are for technology, transportation and housing, Jarvis says.
The college receives support from private donors and other partners to fund Life Gap grants.
During the previous fiscal year, CCV awarded $280,000 to 344 unique students, with total awards of $873,871 to date. CCV enrolls over 10,000 students total.
Further support: In addition to providing dollars to students when they need it, the college has invested in Student Resource Centers at several campuses in the system across the state to provide a physical space for students to access information and services for support.
“These Student Resource Centers house a variety of different ways to help students and hopefully connect with them with maybe some more sustainable, longer-lasting supports beyond them being a CCV student, paired with some of that … emergency support to get you through, because both are very important,” Jarvis says.
Each resource centers is staffed by one to two student peer mentors who offer drop-in hours for learners to receive assistance with accessing basic needs resources, or whatever problems may arise. These peer mentors are paid with Federal Work-Study dollars and are often behavioral studies students or those who have experienced financial challenges in the past.
CCV also partners with community organizations and state agencies, such as Working Bridges Program of the United Way of Northwest Vermont and local food co-ops.
“I really rely on my peer mentors to help me navigate some of that work,” Jarvis says, about building relationships with outside partners. “They’re my boots on the ground, so they’re the ones that have the best insight as to how things are working and what students are looking for and how they’re accessing the different resources.”
In the future, Jarvis hopes to find potential solutions to address a lack of technology for students, as laptop loans continue to be a highly utilized resource.
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This article has been updated to correct CCV's partnerships with local organizations and clarify student peer mentors staff each resource center.
