Today's Students Coalition

It's a critical time for students - and the country. 

U.S. colleges and universities enroll nearly 16 million students. Among the undergraduate population, 4 in 10 students leave college before completing a degree. Today, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that the number of adults who have some college but no credential now stands at 36.8 million Americans.

Understanding who today’s students are is fundamental to creating a higher learning system that leads to their success.

TSC’s Today’s Students 101 contextualizes who today’s students are and why their needs matter to help inform essential higher education policy conversations. This tool kit is designed for you to share with your network. Treat the toolkit as your own. Share the importance of supporting the success of all of today's students by downloading and customizing its content to fit the needs of your channels, networks, and audiences.

Not seeing what you're looking for? Reach out to us at info@todaysstudents.org.

In less than a minute, you can help by sending a letter to Congress asking them to update SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) policies ahead of the Farm Bill reauthorization. Use the toolkit to tell your followers you took action for today’s students. Share the importance of ending hunger in higher ed by downloading and customizing its content to fit the needs of your channels, networks, and audiences.

Recent studies show 23% of today's students in the U.S. struggle with food insecurity. When students don't have enough to eat, they are faced with the difficult choice between two options: paying for food or college costs. Updates to SNAP rules can help.

Research proves the connection between SNAP participation and persistence in college. But today’s students are currently prohibited from accessing SNAP. Even if students would otherwise qualify for SNAP benefits based on their income, citizenship, and state-level eligibility, those attending class more than half-time are barred from receiving SNAP unless they meet a complicated set of exemptions.

Low-income college students need help meeting their basic needs to complete their degree or credential. Tell your friends, family, and followers about the #LetStudentsEat initiative. It takes all of us working together to end hunger in higher education.

Not seeing what you're looking for? We are a national coalition of higher education and benefits access advocacy organizations. Reach out to us at info@LetStudentsEat.org.

Parenting students are hard-working and National Student Parent Month is a time to acknowledge the determination and dedication of the nearly 1 in 5 undergraduate students who are also parents.

Working collectively with our partners and member organizations, every year Today’s Students Coalition helps lead a monthlong celebration of parenting students in support of students like Macauley O'Connell whose first enrollment attempt caused him to lose access to federal financial aid; Jennifer Shirk who’s balancing college, motherhood, and a full-time job; and La Quenta Lewis, a mother of three, a wife, and the operations manager at an elementary school in California who’s pursuing higher education at the same time as her daughter.

September’s designation of National Student Parent Month is an opportunity to create a lot of buzz and advocate for the needs of parenting students. This toolkit is designed for you to share with your network. Treat the toolkit as your own. Share the importance of supporting student parents by downloading and customizing its content to fit the needs of your channels, networks, and audiences.

Not seeing what you're looking for? Reach out to us at info@todaysstudents.org.