A new survey of students at regional public universities finds nearly four in five are concerned a financial emergency will disrupt their ability to stay enrolled, and more than half say they are “just getting by.” The report from Third Way frames regional public campuses as access engines, while also documenting how financial stress shapes day-to-day persistence. The survey of 500 students found that 86% attend school in their home state and 38% are first in their family to go to college. Tuition is characterized as comparatively affordable, with average in-state tuition around $10,000, yet 68% of students took out loans to pay for college. The report also shows how students are engaging with AI in class: 37% use it daily and one in five uses it multiple times per day. At the same time, 61% worry AI will eliminate or significantly impact their career paths. For student success leaders, the operational signal is that affordability and stability remain central to enrollment outcomes—especially at regional public institutions that often carry a larger share of first-generation and in-state students.