Our Blog
When students tell us what they need, we believe them. You can hear from our students, as well as the faculty, staff, and others who support them, here.
Resolution to Honor Richard Binswanger for His Services as Chair of the Board of Believe in Students
In December 2024, Believe in Students celebrated a significant milestone as our founding Board Chair, Richard Binswanger, stepped down from his position. The following resolution, presented by our incoming Board Chair, Jesse Thompson, expresses our profound gratitude...
Preparing for 2025
Believe in Students was founded in 2016, at the dawn of the first Trump administration. After years of changing higher education finances, the burden on students had become so great that studies regularly showed that more than half of all college students struggled...
Advancing the #RealCollege Movement
I arrived at Believe in Students in April 2020, just as the pandemic was rocking the world and changing college campuses, in some ways permanently. My job when I arrived was to figure out how to utilize incredibly generous philanthropic support to provide emergency...
Protected: Real College Curriculum – Course One – Final Version
Welcome to Course One!Course One, The Students We Have, examines the current landscape of basic needs insecurity in higher education. Through five chapters, the course challenges traditional assumptions about today’s college students and provides a deeper...
Letter from the Exectuive Director : March 2024
Dear Friend: We are in an extraordinarily challenging time for higher education. In 2020, the pandemic helped shed light on the issues we have long known are true: the increase in the price of college for students and the accompanying rise in basic needs insecurity...
From Legacy to Action: Reflections on Black History Month and the Ongoing Pursuit of Justice
I was a young child when Black History Month came to national consciousness. I remember my dad using the opportunity to teach me, barely in school, about the history of Black achievement and leadership in this country. As an Iowan, I learned about George Washington...
For the Culture: A Personal Reflection of Resilience, Inspiration and Advocacy
There are many aspects of Black History Month that I hold close to my heart. However, a couple stand out, especially as I reflect on how often I am the only Black person in many of the professional spaces I occupy. First, I am profoundly moved by the purposeful,...
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