Basic Needs Resources

Resources for students’ basic needs including support for housing insecurity, food insecurity, childcare and parenting, health care and mental health care, transportation, and technology and internet access. Email or call us with questions or if you need help accessing these resources online.

We are always adding resources to this page. Have a resource you want to suggest? Email .

Quick find resources by clicking the links below:

Food Resources
Housing Resources 
Safety Resources
Mental Health Resources
Health Resources
Transportation Resources
Technology Resources

Food Insecurity support

Hunger Solutions: Minnesota Food Helpline provides help with SNAP, food resources, food shelves and more to anyone in Minnesota. Also has a map of food shelves and information throughout the state

Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families: Food programs and services including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP) and more resources.

Youth Services Network: Helping youth find shelter & services including food resources, health services and more. Up to age 24. 

Second Harvest Heartland: Website providing care/additional resources for food-insecure groups

Housing resources

HOMELine: HOME Line provides free and low-cost legal, organizing, education, and advocacy services so that tenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems. They work to improve public and private policies relating to rental housing by involving affected tenants in the process.

MN Tenant Report Form: Form to report violations by a landlord. 

Legal Representation Resources: Legal resources page for renters (or landlords) across the state

The Hub: Tribal Housing Benefits: Housing benefits and resources for Indigenous Minnesotans

The Hub: Homeless Services: Coordinated Entry Access Points: Minnesota’s Coordinated Entry System helps those experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, or those who don’t have a place to stay for very long. Use the map to find your county and find local Coordinated Entry resources.

Minnesota Office of Higher Education Student Homelessness in Higher Education Resources: General and Community-specific housing resources for students

Youth Services Network: Shelters for youth ages 10-24

Safety Resources

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7, 365 days a year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. The Hotline provides highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages.

DayOne: A Cornerstone program, Minnesota Day One® provides help and resources for victims of general crime, domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, or those concerned about their relationships anywhere in Minnesota, and Fargo, ND.

The Coalition to End Relationship Abuse: This statewide nonprofit provides general information about domestic violence issues, as well as referrals to local programs.

MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault: General Phone: 651-209-9993. This statewide nonprofit organization provides general information about sexual assault issues, as well as referrals to local programs

Minnesota Office of Justice Programs: This government agency provides advocacy and resources for victims of crime, and works to protect victims’ rights.

Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition: Provides resources and programs for Indigenous women.

Survivor Resources: Organization providing support for survivors who lost loved ones to homicide or sudden death. 

Sexual Violence Center: Free services are provided by advocates who are specially trained to be sexual assault counselors, providing confidential counseling, information, referrals. Offices in Minneapolis and Savage, MN. 

Women’s Advocates: Women’s Advocates offers educational trainings, community events, and safety resources for survivors and helpers; provides emergency shelter and basic needs; and access to ongoing support. 

Standpoint: Standpoint serves ALL victims of domestic and sexual violence throughout Minnesota, regardless of immigration and/or refugee status, nationality, religion, citizenship, race, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or any other protected class. 

Discrimination Helpline/Report Form: Phone number or online form to submit to the MN Department of Human Rights if you believe you have been discriminated
against.

Mental Health Resources

Mantra Health Whole Campus Care: Minnesota State students can access support for their mental health through a partnership with Mantra Health at no cost to themselves. Mantra Health Whole Campus Care provides students with access to: self-paced, self-care practices; 24/7 peer support communities through Togetherall; 24/7 access to ConnectNow for in-the-moment emotional needs as well as urgent care, crisis response and de-escalation; campus-based and community resources for basic needs support; navigation and triage; wellness coaching; 12 clinical therapy sessions every year; and referrals for specialty clinical care.

NAMI Minnesota: National Alliance of Mental Illness of Minnesota provides local and national resources for those struggling with mental health.

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States and get connected to a live, trained volunteer 24/7. It’s free and confidential.

988 Lifeline: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States and its territories. The 988 Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers.

Health Resources

Annex Teen Clinic: The Annex provides a full range of low-cost sexual health services including clinical services, referrals, follow-up, and education. All services are confidential, and no one is turned away for the inability to pay.

Sexual Health Minnesota: Hotline for the entire state of Minnesota, sponsored by the department of health and Operated by Family Tree Clinic. 

Bedsider: Bedsider is an online birth control support network for women 18-29 operated by Power to Decide. Power to Decide works to ensure that every young person has the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant—increasing their opportunity to pursue the future they want.

Transportation Resources

Metro Transit College Pass (Twin Cities): Metro Transit’s College Pass is offered by participating schools to give students an affordable way to get to school, reduce parking demand and are valid for unlimited rides on all regional buses and trains

Metro Transit Metro Mobility:  Metro Mobility is a shared ride public transportation service for certified riders who are unable to use regular fixed-route buses due to a disability or health condition. Rides are provided for any purpose.

Help Me Connect: Transportation: Find a list of statewide transportation resources.  Help Me Connect is an interagency collaboration between Minnesota’s Departments of Children, Youth and Families; Education; Health; and Human Services. 

The Mid-Minnesota Regional Transportation Coordination Council: This downloadable PDF includes transportation resources for Kandiyohi County, McLeod County, Meeker County, and Renville County. 

Rural Transportation Collaborative (RTC): Rural Transportation Collaborative (RTC) is is a partnership program that coordinates volunteer drivers to transport those who have no other means of transportation or cannot drive with the core service area being Polk, Red Lake, Pennington, Norman, Mahnomen, Marshall, Roseau and Kittson counties

Technology Resources

Arrive Ministries : Offers technology support to immigrant/refugee populations

Free Geek Twin Cities: Nonprofit recycling center and thrift store for used computers, laptops, and other electronics.