The Student Basic Needs Data Academy, launched by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) with support from the ECMC Foundation, is a three-year initiative helping states strengthen how they collect, analyze, and use data to support students’ basic needs. Across the country, college students face food and housing insecurity, limited access to child care, mental health care, transportation, and technology—yet most state data systems are not equipped to track these challenges or guide effective responses.
(From Left to Right) Dr. Sara Abelson (The Hope Center), Jessica Colorado (SHEEO), Christina Whitfield (SHEEO), Corey Gheesling (SHEEO), Bryce McKibben (The Hope Center) & Carrie Klein (SHEEO).
The Academy is working with seven states—Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaiʻi, Kentucky, Minnesota, and New York—to build sustainable data infrastructure and evidence-informed policies that improve student well-being and success.
The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs is honored to provide subject matter expertise and responsive technical assistance to participating states as they strengthen their basic needs data systems and strategies.
What the Data Academy Helps States Do
Assess current data and systems: Identify gaps, capacity needs, and opportunities to strengthen partnerships and infrastructure.
- Create consistency: Establish shared definitions of student basic needs and standardized data collection methods.
- Integrate data systems: Embed basic needs indicators into existing student information systems to track challenges, outcomes, public benefits usage, and the impact of basic need supports.
- Inform policy and practice: Use data insights to shape state policy, improve programs and services, and raise awareness among key partners.
Each participating state receives project funding, coaching from SHEEO, technical assistance from organizations such as The Hope Center, and access to a collaborative peer network.