Over the past decade, rising costs of living and student housing rates have added pressure to already strained college learners, creating a new challenge for colleges and universities seeking to retain their students: fighting basic needs insecurity. A lack of essential resources such as food, housing and clothing, in addition to financial challenges, are among top reasons students say they leave college. May research from Trellis Strategies found 58 percent of students had experienced at least one basic needs challenge—including food insecurity, housing instability or homelessness—and 9 percent of students faced all three concurrently. June data from Ellucian found 57 percent of students have had to choose between college expenses and basic needs, and 59 percent of students have considered dropping out due to financial stress.