DETROIT, Mich. (WOWO) — A new pilot program at two southeast Michigan colleges is aimed at helping students overcome food, housing, transportation and financial problems that can otherwise derail their education. The Open Door program is launching this fall at Wayne State University and Henry Ford College. The initiative will connect students with a United Way for Southeastern Michigan staff member who can help them identify and access resources for basic needs. The effort comes as Michigan colleges continue confronting a problem that extends beyond tuition and traditional financial aid. A state Student Basic Needs Task Force report found that about 20% of Michigan college students have experienced food insecurity, while 44% have experienced housing insecurity. Another 47% reported having financial needs that remained unmet even after receiving financial aid. Those challenges can have a direct impact on whether students remain enrolled and ultimately earn a degree or other credential. For Kijuan Dent, emergency financial assistance made a difference while he was a sophomore at Michigan State University. Dent unexpectedly faced a $1,000 tuition bill in 2023. With his family unable to help, he could have turned to the university’s financial aid office or increased his work hours. Instead, he received assistance through an emergency fund designed to help Detroit-area college students with expenses including food, housing and tuition. “Without that help, ‘I don’t know what I would have done. I don’t think I would have left college but it would have delayed me,'” Dent told Bridge Michigan. Dent graduated from Michigan State in 2025 and now works as a student success coach for the Detroit Regional Chamber. The Open Door program is designed to provide the type of assistance Dent received to students who encounter unexpected obstacles while pursuing their education. Rather than limiting assistance to a single issue, the program will help students navigate multiple basic-needs challenges, including food, housing and transportation. The approach reflects growing recognition among colleges and policymakers that students can face significant barriers even when tuition and financial aid have been addressed. Michigan’s Student Basic Needs Task Force has recommended a number of strategies for helping students remain enrolled, including connecting students with services that address needs outside the classroom. Other colleges around the state are already experimenting with similar approaches according to Bridge Michigan. Muskegon Community College operates the Jayhawk Resource Hub, which connects students with resources and support services. Grand Rapids Community College has partnered with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to place a caseworker on campus, giving students direct access to assistance navigating government and other support programs. The new Open Door pilot at Wayne State and Henry Ford College adds another model to those statewide efforts. The goal is not simply to help students manage an immediate crisis. Supporters say connecting students with resources can help prevent a temporary financial or housing problem from becoming a reason to stop attending college. For students already balancing classes, work and other responsibilities, an unexpected bill, lack of reliable transportation, food shortage or housing problem can quickly become an obstacle to completing a credential. The pilot program is expected to begin serving students this fall as the two institutions continue efforts to improve student retention and completion. The initiative comes as colleges across Michigan and the nation look beyond traditional academic services to address the basic needs that can determine whether students are able to stay in school and finish their programs. The post New Michigan Program Connects College Students With Food, Housing and Financial Resources appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less