Compton College will tie basic needs supports—such as free meals and housing assistance—to academic milestones beginning in fall 2027. College leaders say the approach is intended to increase completion rates, but basic-needs experts warn that linking support to performance metrics could unintentionally reduce access for students who need assistance most. The plan reflects a broader push by some institutions to treat emergency aid and wraparound services as part of measurable student success pipelines, not only crisis response. For policymakers and institutional leaders, the key operational question is whether milestone requirements can be administered fairly across students with variable attendance and documentation constraints. As colleges rethink student support models, the Compton College policy becomes a test case for whether incentives improve outcomes without creating new barriers to access.