Emergency grants to students can help aid their persistence, but few students know if they are eligible for these programs.

Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library

Many college students struggle to pay for college and living expenses, which can threaten their ability to remain enrolled and graduate.

A 2025 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found that 42 percent of students identified financial constraints as the biggest challenge to their academic success, followed by the need to work while attending school. This was particularly true for students over 25 and those attending a two-year or public institution.

An unexpected cost can be detrimental to a student’s retention; one-third of Student Voice respondents indicated that an unplanned expense of $

See Full Page