About Us: Student Basic Needs Coalition (SBNC) is a national non-profit organization with a primary mission to combat the student basic needs crisis by facilitating solutions for food, housing, and financial insecurities among college students. Our approach is three-pronged, focusing on SNAP Enrollment, Campus Education, and Advocacy, all aimed at alleviating the immediate needs of students while working towards long-term systemic changes. By empowering student leaders to facilitate access to resources, raising awareness for basic needs insecurity, and advocating for long-term solutions, SBNC aims to create a system of support that enables college students to focus on their academic pursuits without the distress of basic needs insecurity. 

Our History: The Student Basic Needs Coalition started as a student organization at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2019. The group originally formed to advocate for solutions to student food insecurity, but quickly found that students on their campus and campuses across the country were facing barriers to food, housing, health, and safety that prevented them from finishing their degrees. In 2020, SBNC at UTK joined forces with a similar group at NC State to launch the Student Basic Needs Coalition as a national nonprofit. Staying true to our roots, we are focused on supporting students at public 4-year and community colleges.

Our Accomplishments: With an army of local volunteers and through strategic partnerships with other national organizations, SBNC has increased advocacy efforts and built a presence across 25 states, connecting students to $13,000,000 in food assistance and impacting over 177,000 students with education and advocacy initiatives. Our work is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Walmart Foundation, Ben and Jerry’s Foundation, the Michelson 20 Million Minds Foundation, and Ichigo Foundation.

Student Basic Needs Coalition

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