Why crisis support is critical in higher ed

Stories of resilient learners and the support that keeps them in school

Basic needs insecurity isn't an outlier issue — it's the reality for 59% of learners nationwide. This can include loss of housing, food insecurity or financial barriers that prevent students from being able to pay for tuition or necessary educational materials. The country as a whole has been hit hard over the past few years due to the global pandemic, a myriad of natural disasters and upheaval in higher education, among many other barriers. More recently, students are facing reductions to government assistance programs, increasingly expensive medical care, furloughs due to budget cuts, and instability or uncertainty affecting undocumented members of their household.  

The Hope Center for Students’ Survey on Basic Needs Security notes that these insecurities are often most prevalent among structurally marginalized students. This is critical: learners from historically excluded communities who experience basic needs insecurity are much more likely to stop out of school, widening the equity gap in higher education. Institutions are constantly looking for ways to support them through these challenges — because the question isn’t if learners will experience basic needs insecurity, it’s when.

Our partners face these challenges head on every day, whether it’s helping a student with something seemingly "small" like a broken down car, to something as big as a hurricane that has destroyed a learner's home. Supporting students when they need it most is a core part of our shared mission.

Through collaboration with institutions across the country, InsideTrack offers emergency support services that connect learners to community resources — including Emergency Support Microgrants to cover one-time expenses that put students into precarious situations, like the loss of housing, utilities, food security and more. As a nonprofit organization, we're honored to accept tax-deductible donations from individuals who care just as deeply about these services as we do.

We know that crises can look different to different people, and while we work every day to support individuals who are experiencing a myriad of barriers, in this season of gratitude, we wanted to share a few stories of institutions who partnered with us to reach and support learners in the aftermath of large-scale emergency situations.    

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Supporting students in crisis nationwide 

1. Responding to Hurricane Helene: Emergency coaching via a public-private partnership reaches 841 learners

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic and widespread destruction across the east coast, including in North Carolina, where we have many partner institutions. InsideTrack's funding partner in the area, The John M. Belk Endowment, reached out to us to see how we could work together to assist impacted learners. In response, we collaborated immediately with six community colleges across the state, including Isothermal, Blue Ridge, Western Piedmont, Mayland, McDowell Tech and Haywood, to quickly implement an outreach program to check in with their learners. Together, we made sure they were safe and had access to basic necessities like food, water, shelter and power.

In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, we reached 841 learners our partners identified as in-need. InsideTrack coaches and learners engaged in transparent conversations about things like how to: 

• Manage day to day commitments amid the upheaval
• Get support for mental, physical and emotional health 
• Receive support for financial hardships and navigate disaster response
• Transition back to school once they feel ready
• Navigate the loss of a job
• Stay on track toward graduation and remain committed to their academics

Our goal was to offer a holistic and supportive network that empowered these learners to achieve their educational goals, despite the adversity they were facing. One InsideTrack coach commented on her first-hand experience supporting a learner in North Carolina in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane:  

“[We] sent over groceries to a Haywood learner and her son to help them get by, as the learner missed a lot of work during the hurricane and is doing extra shifts just to cover their rent. Her son is autistic and holds a special place in my heart because I understand how difficult that hurricane must have been for both of them as they didn’t have power or water and changes are often really difficult for neurodivergent minds. He also only eats certain foods so we were able to ask for a grocery list and get the specific items he eats.” 

By meeting learners exactly where they were, the power of partnership ensured hundreds of students had the immediate support and clear path needed to persist despite the devastation. It’s through adaptability to each unique circumstance that holistic coaching can provide a flexible framework that pivots to meet learners' urgent needs in times of crisis — no matter what they’re facing.

"...The more we engage with students post-Helene, the needs are only magnifying. I’m thankful that we are in a place where we and others can provide support — so many in our area are unwilling to accept help because they see others with greater needs. Based on the interactions we’ve had over the past two weeks with students, it seems that they are more willing to accept help through HCC. If that’s what it takes to help get students and their families back on their feet, we are here for it, and we are grateful for your partnership." 

— Dr. Shelley White, President, Haywood Community College

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2. California wildfires: Distributing resources and microgrants to affected students

In January 2025, multiple wildfires swept through California, displacing tens of thousands of people and claiming at least 29 lives. Over 23,000 acres were destroyed during the 24 days the fires burned. Many of our partners’ students were affected by these fires — both directly and indirectly — and we joined the collective effort to see how we could help. 

InsideTrack Lead Student Success Specialist and Coach Suzanne Carrillo and our Crisis Support Services team worked closely together to create a template that all InsideTrack coaches could use — collaborating with our partner institutions to reach affected students in the area and ensure they each received a PDF of local resources and aid organizations. Impacted learners in crisis situations also had a direct line to CSS team members, who were able to assist them personally in any way they could. 

This included collaborating with coaches to distribute microgrants to learners in need. These microgrants helped pay for groceries, temporary housing and even insurance, as some people’s insurance plans were cancelled in the wake of the destruction. 

“Creating the template in collaboration with our Crisis Support Services team ensured that each coach was equipped with local resources to help learners navigate the devastation in their communities. At the end of the day, our goal is always to ensure people have what they need to move forward with their goals. When unexpected challenges arise, we’re here to help them stay safe and cared for, so they can return to school and continue pursuing their dreams when they’re ready.”

— Suzanne Carrillo, Lead Student Success Specialist and Coach, InsideTrack

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3. The Emergency Coaching Network: Supporting thousands of students through COVID-19 uncertainty

Launched in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with support from ECMC Foundation and Strada Education Foundation, InsideTrack’s Emergency Coaching Network (ECN) had two main goals:

1. To provide direct emergency coaching services to students who opted in to receive extra support
2. To support institutions who were also facing unprecedented challenges

Students and institutions alike were scared, uncertain about the future, thrown into online learning environments and left without resources. In the global scramble to adjust to a “new normal,” the network provided free, on-demand coaching for students and training for institutions, and the results speak directly to the impact of the partnership: 

• Over 1,000 students across 20 colleges and universities received personalized support
• 78% of coached students persisted into the following semester, far above national retention averages of 61–63%
• 56% of learners received crisis coaching from InsideTrack’s CSS team

‍One of the most notable results is that students reported statistically significant improvements in confidence, hope, planning, focus, and ability to meet basic needs like food, shelter and health. 

One learner, Amy, needed support with a multitude of stressors, including managing financial hardship, accessing needed medication, and managing the loss of a close personal relationship. In addition, her car needed repairs. Working with a coach, Amy clarified her priorities and made concrete plans to address her needs — the most important of which was holding her spot in her competitive program. With the assistance from a coach and the ECN, Amy received the help she needed to remain in school.

How does InsideTrack’s Emergency Support Fund help learners in crisis? We can provide microgrants to students to assist in things like: 

• A medical bill that makes other costs — like school — unaffordable
• A broken down car that impacts transportation to school and work
• A basic need for food, shelter or safety

Donations to our Emergency Support Fund are tax deductible, 100% secure and used to directly benefit learners. Learn more.

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Advancing educational opportunity amidst crisis

When a crisis disrupts a learner's path to completion, personalized support can mean the difference between stopping out and staying on track. From delivering emergency coaching in the midst of a crisis to offering small microgrants for students who are trying to get by, we are so grateful to walk alongside our partners who are working tirelessly every day to meet basic student needs.

Addressing these needs for learners is crucial for their overall well-being and academic success. When students have access to resources that ensure their fundamental needs are met, such as food, shelter and mental health support, they're better equipped to achieve their educational goals. 

In this season of giving, you can be part of this vital work by donating directly to ensure learners have the resources necessary to achieve their goals.