CHEBNA Takeaways: Addressing Basic Needs Holistically

Strategies aimed at addressing basic needs challenges were discussed at the California Higher Education Basic Needs Alliance (CHEBNA) 2026 Annual Conference, which took place in Sacramento, CA from February 10, 2026 to February 11, 2026. Understanding that basic needs encompass a multitude of areas, from food security, housing stability, financial literacy, course materials access and more, is fundamental to supporting student success. Below, you’ll find some resource highlights from CHEBNA that were shared by colleges and universities in attendance. Additionally, this article discusses equivalent/similar programs available at SFSU, as well as areas that are not covered by SFSU programs due to restrictions (i.e. budget cuts, staffing limitations, etc.).  

Food Pantries 

Various academic institutions host on-campus food pantries to increase accessibility of food (e.g. produce, snacks, shelf-stable items, etc.) to their student population. An on-campus location for students to pick up food items whenever they come onto campus for classes, work, or activities creates a more convenient and approachable option. 

Associated Students (AS) Food Pantry and Gator Groceries @ SFSU 

An emergency food program open Monday-Thursday for students to pick up free food at the bottom floor of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Students can select from the pantry’s available stock, and they kindly ask that students bring their own bags/boxes/carts to collect and transport their groceries in an effort to reduce waste. Follow their Instagram @as_foodpantry_sfsu for updates on weekly in-stock groceries.¹ Students are able to go on a walk-in basis to the Food Pantry and Gator Groceries during their hours for the Spring 2026 semester: 

• Mondays: 12pm-6pm
• Tuesdays - Thursdays: 11am-5pm
• Closed Fridays 

Food Financial Assistance (for CalFresh ineligible students) 

For students that are ineligible for CalFresh, specifically due to the U.S. citizenship or permanent residency requirement, some academic institutions provide a CalFresh-alternative food financial assistance program. Basic Needs Centers at UC Davis and San Diego City College have programs designed to help CalFresh-ineligible students that would otherwise be eligible to receive benefits if there was no citizenship requirement, such as the AggieFresh program at UC Davis and the Ensuring All Thrive (EAT) program in partnership with the Undocumented Resource Center (URC) at San Diego City College.^2,3 These programs are typically structured in the same way as CalFresh: apply using an online form, do an interview with your case worker, receive monthly funds to purchase groceries (via grocery service cards), and complete a recertification to maintain benefits. 

CalFresh Help Clinic @ the SFSU Basic Needs Center 

The CalFresh Help Clinic supports students in navigating CalFresh, which is a federally funded program that grants qualified individuals up to $292/month. On their website, you'll find more information on the qualifications and what to expect throughout the application process.⁴ You can also make an appointment to meet with a CalFresh Navigator for support in understanding if you’re eligible and/or want help applying by sending them a message at this email: calfresh@sfsu.edu 

Unfortunately, the CalFresh Help Clinic does not have a specific program to support students that are considered ineligible for CalFresh due to the citizenship requirements. Given constraints related to budgeting and staffing, it is not possible to implement a food financial support program that provides funds directly to students. Currently, the CalFresh Help Clinic and Basic Needs Center focus their efforts on connecting students to established food resources (both on-campus and off-campus), available regardless of citizenship status. 

Course Material Lending 

Another piece of student success is reliable access to course materials, such as textbooks, devices (e.g. laptops, tablets, etc.), stationary, personal items, etc. To promote academic achievement, many universities have loan or rental programs in which students can borrow course materials for the current term or their entire college career. A vital resource like this is essential to aiding students in their academic journey; however, it is worth mentioning that barriers remain which could discourage student participation, like late fees and replacements costs. 

J. Paul Leonard Library @ SFSU 

Academic Technology, located in the SFSU Library Room 80, offers a Laptop Checkout program for students to borrow Apple Macintosh or Dell laptops throughout the semster.⁵ Students can choose to borrow a laptop for a single day (short-term checkout) or for an entire semester (long-term checkout), depending on their needs and device access, depending on student needs and device availability. Stop by LIB 80 for single-day (short-term) checkout or fill out their online Student Library Laptop Loan Request form for semester-long checkout.⁶ Please note that there are late fees for returning the borrowed materials (laptop and/or power adapter) after the day/time it is due, and there are replacement fees for lost/damaged/non-returned materials as well.  

The J. Paul Leonard Library has materials available for students to borrow at no cost, such as textbooks, books, ebooks, media, course reserves, journal articles, and more.⁷ Materials may be available to check out as a hard copy and/or electronic version from the J. Paul Leonard Library or other libraries in the CSU system through the Interlibrary Loan Service.⁸ Please note that some materials are available to check out for an entire semester; however, there are some materials with shorter borrowing timeframes (ranging from a few hours to a couple months). To check out an item, you can: 

1. Visit the library in-person and locate the material(s) of interest. Bring your materials to the checkout counter on the first floor and present your Student ID to the staff member. *There are desktops located throughout the library where you can browse the SFSU Library OneSearch database and find the presice location of your item(s) of interest.
2. Use the SFSU Library OneSearch database to search for the material(s) of interest and submit a request for the material(s). When you receive an email that the item(s) are available to pick up, visit the checkout counter on the first floor and present your Student ID to the staff member. *You can request materials from the SFSU library and other CSU libraries by using the OneSearch database. 

Associated Students (AS) Project Connect Book Loan Program 

The AS Project Connect Book Loan Program provides all SFSU students in need with the opportunity to borrow a textbook at no cost for an entire semester.¹⁰ Project Connect accepts applications at the beginning of each Fall and Spring semester, and they offer priority access to students in partner programs (such as TRIO/SOAR, EOP, Project Rebound, AS BOD, ECEC, AB-540, GSP, METRO, Veterans, and DPRC). For more information on how to access their application or to view their book loan inventory, visit their website.¹⁰ 

Legal Assistance (Immigration, Housing, etc.) 

Understanding the unique needs of each university’s student population is crucial to nurturing student success. The colleges in the San Diego Community College District serve a large undocumented student population, and they’ve adapted their student resource programs to assist students seeking out legal counseling, class advising, mental health support, etc. At San Francico State University, the Dream Resource Center and the Associated Students Legal Resource Center help students access support in answering immigration and law-related questions or concerns. 

Dream Resource Center @ SFSU 

The Dream Resource Center (DRC) works with undocumented students and students living in mixed status homes, regardless of DACA, AB 540/SB 68, and/or CA Dream Act eligibility.¹¹ Students can reach out to the DRC for academic advising, legal services, scholarship opportunities/financial literacy, career development, advocacy and peer support, housing and food insecurity, residency support, CA DREAM Act support, and more. Currently, the DRC has a partnership with Immigrant Legal Defense (ILD) to provide immigration legal services free of charge to CSU students and employees.¹² For more information, please visit their website or contact drc@sfsu.edu. 

Associated Students (AS) Legal Resource Center @ SFSU 

The AS Legal Resource Center (LRC) serves to answer law-related questions or concerns and connects SFSU students to Bay Area legal organizations/programs.¹³ Please note that the LRC does not offer legal advice or legal representation. They host events throughout the school year to educate and empower students on legal topics, such as tenant’s rights, law school information, allyship to undocumented individuals, legal gender and name change, and more. For the most up-to-date information on their upcoming events and workshops, visit their Instagram or their website.^13,14 

References 

1. Associated Students Food Pantry & Gator Groceries. @as_foodpantry_sfsu. https://www.instagram.com/as_foodpantry_sfsu?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==, Accessed March 11, 2026.
2. Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center. AggieFresh, https://aggiecompass.ucdavis.edu/aggiefresh, Accessed March 11, 2026.
3. San Diego Community College District. Supporting the undocumented community at City College. April 29, 2025. https://www.sdccd.edu/departments/communications/newscenter/articles/2025/supporting-undocumented-students.aspx, Accessed March 11, 2026
4. Basic Needs. CalFresh Help Clinic. https://basicneeds.sfsu.edu/calfresh-help-clinic, Accessed March 11, 2026.
5. Academic Technology. Laptop Checkout, https://at.sfsu.edu/laptop-checkout, Accessed March 11, 2026.
6. SFSU Service Now. Student Library Laptop Loan Request, https://sfsu.service-now.com/sp?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=9ba4bc07db2a185081fd16994b9619f5, Accessed March 11, 2026.
7. J. Paul Leonard Library. Borrow & Renew, https://library.sfsu.edu/borrow, Accessed March 11, 2026.
8. J. Paul Leonard Library. Interlibrary Loan, https://library.sfsu.edu/interlibrary-loan, Accessed March 11, 2026.
9. J. Paul Leonard Libray. SFSU Library OneSearch, https://csu-sfsu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01CALS_SFR%3A01CALS_SFR&lang=en, Accessed March 11, 2026.
10. Associated Students. Project Connect Book Loan, https://asi.sfsu.edu/as-book-loan, Accessed March 11, 2026.
11. Dream Resource Center. https://drc.sfsu.edu/, Accessed March 11, 2026.
12. Dream Resource Center. Legal Services, https://drc.sfsu.edu/Legal-Services, Accessed March 11, 2026.
13. Associated Students. Legal Resources Center, https://asi.sfsu.edu/legal-resource-center, Accessed March 11, 2026.
14. Associated Students Legal Resource Center. @as_lrc_sfsu, https://www.instagram.com/as_lrc_sfsu/, Accessed March 11, 2026.