North Park University (NPU) received a $142,216 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) that provided 45 students with food, housing during academic breaks, textbooks, technology access, and other essential, basic needs.
The grant, issued to NPU in November 2024 by IBHE’s End Student Housing Insecurity grant program, funded a staff position and food pantry, according to Skyy Barney, NPU’s student care coordinator.
The position, HOUSE (Housing and Opportunities that are Useful for Student Excellence) liaison, works directly with students experiencing homelessness or precarious living situations. It’s often difficult to recognize such students, according to Kate Danielson, founder and director of Foster Progress, a Chicago-based group that helps foster children go to college.
“These students might be staying on friends’ couches or asking to stay on campus over breaks,” Danielson said. “Or they might avoid conversations about home or family or mention money stress or unstable transportation. They also often lack a fixed, adequate nighttime residence and experience food insecurity.”
Students who qualified to benefit from the grant included those who self-disclosed their unstable housing or those transitioning out of foster or state care. Faculty, staff, and peers could also refer students.
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