College students face rising basic-needs pressures as COD works to connect them with support

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — As college students return to campus for a new semester, tuition is only one piece of the financial pressure many are facing. The costs of food, housing and other everyday necessities are increasingly part of the equation for students trying to earn a degree.

At College of the Desert, the school estimates an off-campus student could spend more than $27,000 on food and housing alone during the nine-month academic year. National research also shows basic-needs insecurity is affecting a significant share of students.

Trellis Strategies' Fall 2025 Student Financial Wellness Survey included more than 65,000 undergraduate students at 153 colleges across the country. The survey found 54% of respondents experienced at least one form of basic-needs insecurity. That included 42% who experienced food insecurity and 35% who experienced housing insecurity.

For COD student Amber Searles, financial challenges have already had a direct impact on her education.

Searles recently completed her first year at COD, but her path back into the classroom was years in the making. She said difficulty getting financial aid was one of the barriers that previously kept her from attending college.

“Since I wasn't able to get FAFSA, I wasn't able to do school for about five years,” Searles said. “So now I'm coming back... and I'm able to do school.”

Searles said getting connected with someone who could help her navigate the financial aid process ultimately made a difference.

“I actually did a Zoom call with one of our financial aid officers here, and they got me FAFSA within probably a week,” she said.

Support beyond the classroom

College of the Desert offers several resources aimed at addressing challenges students may be dealing with outside of their classes, including food assistance, basic-needs and housing resources, mental health services and financial aid support.

Dr. Cindy Alvarez, COD's student support resolution manager, said those outside pressures can have a direct impact on a student's ability to focus academically.

“The holistic student experience is very important,” Alvarez said. “You can't focus in school if there are other things going on in your life. So we have systems in place to support students' well-being.”

Alvarez said the college's support includes access to therapists through its TimelyCare app as well as services for students struggling with food or housing insecurity. COD also has affinity centers where students can connect with others from similar backgrounds or with shared experiences.

And if a student is struggling but doesn't know where to begin, Alvarez said reaching out to a staff member can be a starting point. She said the college has a system that allows staff to connect students with a broader support team and resources ranging from crisis counseling and basic needs to assistance communicating with instructors.

Finding a community

For students, support isn't always financial.

Third-year COD student Eliza Gomez, a health science pre-nursing major and president of the Sexuality Gender Alliance Club, said finding a community on campus can be another important part of the college experience.

“Every time we get a new batch of students, I'm always really excited to push through and be like, ‘Hey, there is community here for you,’” Gomez said. “It's kind of hidden, but we're here for you.”

Her advice to students — including those who may be returning to school after time away — is to take the next step after enrolling and get involved.

“You're already taking the first step, which is coming back,” Gomez said. “It just takes... taking the second step, which is getting involved.”

COD is also planning opportunities throughout the semester for students to make those connections. Alvarez said Club Rush is typically held during the fourth week of school, bringing campus clubs together and giving students an opportunity to find organizations and other students with similar interests.

Getting students connected early

Tuesday's Welcome Day at College of the Desert's Palm Desert campus was one way the college is trying to put resources in front of students before they have to seek them out on their own.

That effort will continue once classes begin. Alvarez said welcome tents will be stationed around campus during the first week of school, where staff can help students who are lost, need water or have questions as they navigate their first days of the semester.

For Searles, who now has her first year at COD behind her, the message to someone questioning whether they have the time, money or ability to return to school is simple.

“Just do it. Just get it done,” Searles said. “Later on, or even now, you may be thinking, ‘Oh, I'm never going to get my associate's. I'm never going to do this. I don't have time.’”

She said students shouldn't be afraid to use the resources available to them — advice informed by her own experience finding help when she needed it.

“Just don't give up,” Searles said. “Just keep going.”