New analysis finds Pell Grant recipients face higher food insecurity, alongside lower persistence and completion outcomes. The findings, from the Institute for Higher Education Policy, connect financial aid status with basic-needs stability, reinforcing that affordability challenges continue to show up in student retention and graduation. For institutions, the results strengthen the case for expanded emergency aid, targeted food supports, and integrated case-management models tied to Pell-eligible populations. Administrators may use the findings to benchmark campus basic-needs performance and evaluate whether student success initiatives align with the experiences of the neediest learners. The study also highlights a practical compliance and planning angle: persistence and completion improvements are likely harder to achieve if nutrition insecurity remains unresolved, even when financial aid is available.