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Essential Needs Support Resources

Basic Needs Insecurity

Basic needs insecurity refers to the lack of access to adequate food, stable housing, and other essential resources necessary for academic success and overall well-being. This issue has been increasingly recognized as a significant barrier to higher education attainment and student success. 

52% of Temple students surveyed experienced at least one of the following: food insecurity, housing insecurity, or homelessness in the previous 30 days.

Temple University and the City of Philadelphia have many basic needs support resources. 

Food 

  • The Cherry Pantry is Temple University's on-campus food pantry, located on the first floor of the Howard Gittis Student Center. 

  • Students can find detailed information on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility criteria as a college student and information on how to apply on our website. 

  • The City of Philadelphia’s Free Food and Meal Finder: The City of Philadelphia has a Free Food and Meal Finder resource to allow residents to browse food resources available to them.

Housing

  • Tenant Rights Help for Temple Students: This pilot program will provide a free legal information service to Temple students staffed by Temple law students who are trained to give information on tenants' rights and basic landlord-tenant issues. Walk-in hours will be held weekly on Tuesdays from 12pm-1pm in the Cherry Pantry during the Fall 2025 semester. 

  • Application for Basic Needs Assistance with Avery Philly: This program is designed specifically to help students alleviate the cost of housing and food for the 2025-26 academic year. If you have already committed to live on-campus or signed a lease at an off-campus property that is not the Avery for the 2025-26 academic year, you are not eligible for this specific assistance program. Eligible students will have access to discounted rent at the Avery Philly, along with additional funds to help cover food costs. The application priority deadline is Monday April 28th, 2025. Applications are now closed. 

Clothing Assistance

  • The Wardrobe: Temple University has a partnership with The Wardrobe to offer students discounted second-hand and free professional attire. 

  • During the annual Temple Thrift Event, eligible students can apply for a free clothing vouchers to be redeemed at the event. The dates of the sales for the Fall 2025 semester are Wednesday, September 10th, Friday, September 19th, Wednesday, October 8th, and Friday, October 24th. Apply for a voucher here. 

  • Students in Klein College of Media and Communication can access the school’s Career Closet for free professional clothing. Students can stop by Room 7 in Annenberg Hall and request assistance from the Klein EDGE student workers.   

Financial Resources  

  • Student Emergency Aid Fund: The purpose of the Student Affairs Emergency Fund is to provide short-term financial assistance with unusual or unforeseen circumstances. 

  • FAFSA Support: The PA Department of Education and uAspire have partnered to provide students with Financial Aid Assistance. Text the help desk anytime. A uAspire Advisor will respond within 24 business hours to help you complete the FAFSA and answer your questions. Text 313-PA-FAFSA or 313-723-2372. 

Healthcare and Mental Health 

  • Tuttleman Counseling: If you are a registered student at Temple University, Tuttleman Counseling Services (TCS) offers support for your mental health needs. Assistance at TCS is confidential and free of charge. TCS is located at 1700 N. Broad Street on the 2th floor. 

  • Student Health Services: Student Health Services (SHS) provides the eligible Temple University community with affordable, accessible and high-quality primary healthcare. SHS is located at 1700 N. Broad Street on the 4th floor. 

  • Nutrition Services: You can meet with a Student Health Services Nutritionist (RD) on Temple’s Main Campus for free. 

  • Free Menstrual Product Vending Machine: A Free Menstrual Product Vending Machine is located outside of the Barnett Irvine Cherry Pantry in the Howard Gittis Student Center and on the second floor of the Charles library. These vending machines dispense quality menstrual products to those in the Temple community free of cost. Anyone in the Temple community can access the vending machine. Just be sure to bring your OwlCard (physical or digital). You are allotted two taps, or 10 products, per week. Your allotment resets every Sunday.

Transportation  

  • FLIGHT: Flight is Temple University’s free nighttime fixed-route shuttle loop service. Flight-branded shuttles circulate throughout the areas within and surrounding the main campus patrol zone. 

  • Secondhand Cycles: Secondhand Cycles is Bike Temple's bicycle surplus program. After refurbishing abandoned bicycles on campus, the bicycles are then sold back to students . The Office of Sustainability is changing up this 10-year old program and partnering with the Division of Student Affairs to ensure that these Secondhand Cycles get to the students who want and need them the most. We will let you know when applications open again, bust please reach out to sustainability@temple.edu with any questions.

Technology/Office Supplies

  • If you need technology support, Information Technology Services and the Division of Student Affairs provide options to eligible students. 

  • Temple Office Supply Swap: Temple Office Supply Swap, or TOSS, is a program to promote waste minimization and reuse. Surplus office supplies are made available for free to the Temple community. Temple University administrators, faculty, staff and students can drop off surplus office supplies or "shop" for what is needed in the lower level of the Student Center outside of the Cherry Pantry.