How community data helps connect UNC Charlotte students with support
by Ellissa Brooks Nelson, Ph.D., and Sydney Idzikowski
[Note: This article is an update to a story on the Student Emergency Fund published in March 2025. Read it here.]
An unexpected expense can disrupt a student’s ability to stay enrolled in school. At UNC Charlotte, a partnership between the Division of Student Affairs and the Charlotte Regional Data Trust helps campus leaders better understand the needs of students seeking emergency financial assistance, and use that knowledge to inform more coordinated support.
The Student Emergency Fund, or SEF, provides financial assistance when students face unexpected, immediate and unavoidable emergencies. Eligible circumstances include accidents, illness, the death of a family member, fire damage, temporary housing needs and natural disasters. Established during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund remains an important resource for students. Learn more: sass.charlotte.edu/services/student-emergency-fund/
In 2023, Student Affairs Research and Assessment sought to better understand the experiences of students who applied for SEF assistance. Through a partnership with the Data Trust, records for applicants through the 2020–2021 and 2022–2023 academic years were securely linked with records from selected community agencies. The exploratory analysis examined whether applicants received community services or had other recorded current or historical agency interactions. Participating data sources included Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; Crisis Assistance Ministry; Mecklenburg County Department of Community Resources – Economic Services; Mecklenburg County Child, Family and Adult Services – Child Welfare; the Homeless Management Information System; and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
[Read more about the findings here].
Putting the data to work
The findings have since helped inform conversations about how emergency assistance can connect students with broader support for their well-being and continued enrollment.
To date, the findings have served as a catalyst for connectivity of student support strategies. The Dean of Students Office established Basic Needs Services as a dedicated functional area and centralized entry point for students facing food insecurity and limited access to other basic needs. The findings also informed efforts to identify gaps in support and consider options for students who have exhausted their one-time SEF assistance or whose needs fall outside the fund’s emergency criteria.
Another step connects immediate financial relief with financial education
SEF recipients are required to complete a Niner Finances virtual workshop or one-on-one coaching session. This component is intended to help students navigate financial challenges and develop skills they can use during college and after graduation. Financial education complements emergency assistance and referrals to other resources as students may also face ongoing challenges that require additional support.
Student Assistance and Support Services, known as SASS, uses the SEF application as an opportunity to assess the broader needs of students and connect them with relevant campus and community resources. Staff are also considering ways to strengthen referrals among campus offices, including Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office of Academic Recovery and Retention. These connections can help students seeking financial assistance access mental health, academic and other support suited to their circumstances.
The findings give us a better understanding of the challenges students bring with them when they seek emergency assistance. These findings add evidence to what staff have observed and help campus and community partners identify where support can be better connected. For us, the value is in using that understanding to connect students with resources that address their immediate needs and support their ability to stay enrolled and progress toward graduation.
— Ellissa Brooks Nelson, Ph.D., divisional director, student affairs research and assessment
For campus leaders and community partners, this work illustrates how connecting data across organizations can inform a more coordinated response to student needs. The analysis is helping UNC Charlotte consider emergency financial assistance within a broader network of support, with the goal of helping students navigate challenges that could interrupt their education.
Are you a Charlotte student and need assistance? Contact Student Assistance and Support Services at sass.charlotte.edu.
Interested in learning more about the Data Trust? Review our 2026 State of Our Data Report or email us at datatrust@charlotte.edu.