Federal lawmakers reintroduced the Basic Assistance for Students in College, or BASIC Act, which would provide $1 billion annually to help higher education institutions address students’ food, housing and childcare needs.
The bill would prioritize institutions where at least 25% of students receive federal Pell Grants, which provide need-based financial aid to low-income undergraduate students. University data from the 2024-2025 academic year placed Cal Poly below the 25% threshold, with Pell Grant recipients making up 22.93% of enrollment.
Newly released data showed that Cal Poly has since crossed that threshold, according to University Spokesperson Keegan Koberl. In the 2025-2026 academic year, 5,621 of Cal Poly’s 22,402 undergraduate students received Pell Grants, or 25.09%.
U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla, Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Norma Torres introduced the bill on Sept. 24. It would establish a federal grant program authorized for fiscal years 2027 to 2033.
The bill would allocate $40 million for planning grants to help universities evaluate unmet student needs and $960 million for implementation grants to provide direct housing, food and childcare assistance.
The legislation would require at least 25% of grant funding to go to community colleges and another 25% to minority-serving institutions.
The legislative push responds to widespread student hardship, with national data showing that nearly one in four college students faces food insecurity and one in 10 experience homelessness. Research from The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs indicates that three in five students lack reliable access to adequate food or safe housing.
The Cal State system has endorsed the bill.
“By strengthening this work at colleges and universities across the country, this legislation has the potential to expand educational opportunity and create lasting benefits for students, their families and their communities,” said Dr. Dicie Perez, Cal State vice chancellor for strategic enrollment management and student success.
Koberl declined to comment on the bill, citing university policy, but discussed Cal Poly’s Basic Needs Initiative.
The Basic Needs Initiative connects students with food and housing support, financial services, transportation and mental health resources. The initiative offers emergency on-campus housing, Cal Poly Cares emergency grants, financial wellness programming and free transportation options and partners with local housing and social service organizations.
“Cal Poly has been engaged in this work for a number of years,” Koberl wrote in an email to Mustang News. “The university previously received a [Cal State] Basic Needs Innovation Award to develop model programs that could be shared with other [Cal State] campuses, including initiatives focused on connecting students with resources and developing a community kitchen and garden.”
